The National Unity Platform (NUP) last Thursday unveiled Ms Irene Nampala, the elder sister of the late Kalangala Woman Member of Parliament, Hellen Nakimuli, as its flag bearer for the forthcoming Kalangala District Woman MP by-election. The announcement at the party headquarters in Makerere-Kavule, Kampala, by the NUP Election Management Committee chairperson, Ms Harriet Chemutai, followed an internal vetting and ground survey process that involved 14 aspirants.
According to Ms Chemutai, 13 candidates successfully appeared before the vetting committee before proceeding to the next stage of field assessments conducted in Kalangala District. ‘Fourteen ladies applied to carry the NUP ticket, but out of those 14, we had 13 come through for vetting and proceed to the next level of the ground survey. Eventually, we came out with the best candidate,’ Ms Chemutai said last week. She explained that the party allocated 40 percent of the final score to vetting and 60 percent to the ground survey conducted among voters in Kalangala.
‘The ground survey accounts for 60 percent because we gave the people of Kalangala an upper hand since they are the ones to decide. We also wanted someone who can articulate issues very well and represent the people of Kalangala effectively,’ she added. According to the results released by the party, Ms Nampala scored 68 points ahead of her closest challenger, Ms Jesca Nassiwa Tusabe, who scored 48.7 points. Other contenders included Dr Mary Nakitende (45.7), Irene Nakanwagi Kiwanuka (35.8), Maria Nakitende (35.2), Aisha Nantayi (30.9), Beatrice Kirabo Nanyomo (29.1), Namuddu Goreti (28.8), Roy Nakigozi (28), Barbra Nabasirye (27.4), Sharifah Babirye kaala (26), Betty Nalugwa (22.7), and Brenda Nalusembo (16.5).
Ms Nampala was born on Bukasa Island in Kyamuswa Sub-county, Kalangala District, to Rev Fr Christopher Walusimbi and the late Geraldine Natembo. She attended Kaganda Learning Centre for primary education before joining Bishop Dunstan Secondary School for O-Level and Chwa II Memorial College for A-Level studies.
After completing school, she worked in the tourism and hospitality sector with Gorilla Tours and Habari Travel as a receptionist before rising to the position of overall supervisor. Through her work, she coordinated travel logistics and linked tourists from different countries to Bukasa Island. Speaking shortly after being unveiled, Ms Nampala said her decision to join politics followed consultations with family members, supporters and leaders in Kalangala following the death of her sister. ‘I made consultations with my family members, supporters, leaders and the people of Kalangala following the untimely death of my beloved young sister, the late Hon Hellen Nakimuli, who dedicated her life to serving the people of Kalangala with commitment, courage and love,’ she said.
Her candidature had earlier been hinted at by her father, Rev Fr Christopher Walusimbi, during burial arrangements for the late MP, when he told mourners that the family still had ‘good seeds’ capable of continuing Nakimuli’s legacy.
In an interview with Daily Monitor over the weekend, Ms Nampala said she intends to continue the unfinished work started by her sister. ‘I want to continue advocating for improved health services and medical access within the islands. These include, education opportunities for young people and women, better transport and communication networks, women and youth empowerment programmes, tourism and economic empowerment initiatives,’ she said. She added that, like her late sister, she hopes to remain close to ordinary residents by collecting their views and presenting them on the floor of Parliament.
‘I am going to be a voice and a source of hope for the people of Kalangala,’ Ms Nampala said. Mr Photius Sekabira, a brother to Ms Nampala, said the family fronted her candidature after receiving requests from residents who wanted a family member to continue Nakimuli’s political journey. ‘As the family of Rev Fr Christopher Walusimbi, we received voices from the people of Kalangala requesting us to front a family member who would depict the image and values of the late Hon Hellen Nakimuli,’ Mr Sekabira said. ‘They believe Nampala can fit in the unmatched shoes of the late because of her leadership abilities, social mobilisation skills, problem-solving abilities and interpersonal communication,’ he added.
Mr Sekabira further said many voters see Ms Nampala as the candidate most likely to help NUP retain the seat within the short campaign period.
‘They [voters] believe she is the only candidate who can secure victory for NUP because voters still emotionally connect her to the late Hellen Nakimuli. She has an advantage of sympathy and many people want to honour the legacy of the late MP,’ he said.
Reactions from electorate
On the ground, news of Ms Nampala’s emergence as the NUP flag bearer has been received with mixed reactions among party supporters and residents across Kalangala District. Mr Frank Muzinda, a supporter from Semawundo Landing Site in Bufumira Sub-county, said he had backed aspirant Roy Nakigozi during the internal party processes. ‘I was supporting Roy Nakigozi, but from the beginning she faced resistance that made it difficult for her to secure the NUP ticket. Although she tried to show she belonged to the party structures, many supporters continued to speak against her, which affected her support on the ground,’ he said.
Ms Judith Namukasa, a resident of Betta Village, said she had hoped the party would front Ms Jesca Nassiwa, whom she described as more familiar to grassroots supporters. ‘She [Nampala] has never come to my village and I have never seen her before. NUP has ignored some people we have grown up seeing and working with on the ground and instead gave the ticket to someone many residents do not know,’ Ms Namukasa said. However, some supporters called for unity despite disagreements that emerged during the vetting process.
‘We all had people we wanted to see carry the party flag, but now that the ticket has been given to Nampala, we need to rally behind her and make sure NUP retains the seat,’ Mr Frank Tusabe, a resident of Bwendero Village, said. The Kalangala Woman MP seat fell vacant following the death of Ms Nakimuli last month after an unsuccessful surgery at Alexandria Medical Centre in Kampala, cutting short what many residents believed would have been a more vocal second term in Parliament for the NUP legislator. Mr Bambalazaabwe Semakula, a political analyst, said it is common for political parties to front relatives of deceased politicians in by-elections because voters emotionally associate them with the unfinished work of the departed leader.
‘When a leader dies in circumstances that leave people with pain and unanswered questions, voters tend to rally behind family members, this has been the trend,’ he said. ‘When a family member is given the party ticket, people believe it is one way of healing and ensuring that the promises of the late leader are fulfilled.’ he added. Another political analyst Godfrey Sekisonge said political succession following the death of a popular leader is not new in Kalangala.
“That trend started in Ssese when the late Samuel Ssemaala Kiwanuka died tragically and was succeeded by his brother, Stephen Ssaaka Ssemaala, in 1994. Times have changed though,” Mr Sekisonge said.
According to Mr Sekisonge, the NUP card holder faces a difficult task because Nabayiga has long political experience and name recognition. He said the opposition now faces a tougher political environment in Kalangala compared to previous election cycles. “For any NUP candidate to run against a former MP who has spent more than 10 years building political influence and visibility across the district is never going to be easy,” he said. In the last General Election, the ruling NRM regained significant political ground in the district after winning both the Bujumba County and Kyamuswa County parliamentary seats from opposition and independent candidates.
NRM also captured the LC5 chairperson seat from NUP and increased its representation on the district council from 13 councillors in 2021 to 18 out of the 24 council seats- a trend analysts say reflects the shrinking political space for the opposition in the island district. In the NRM camp, supporters believe the selection of Nampala presents an opportunity for the ruling party to reclaim the seat. “The NUP flag bearer does not know many of Kalangala’s villages by name and has not been as visible on the ground as our contender, who has been to every corner of this district. This is a sure win for us,” said David Byamugisha, a resident of Jaana Landing Site.
Aidah Nabayiga previously contested for the Woman MP seat but lost in both the 2021 general election and the January 15 election to late Nakimuli. Observers say both major parties are likely to rely heavily on emotion in the upcoming by-election. NUP is expected to benefit from sympathy following the death of Nakimuli, while NRM hopes to capitalise on renewed mobilisation around its candidate.
The race has also been influenced by Hellen Flavia Nagawa, whose interest in the NRM primaries initially generated excitement among young voters before she announced that she would not seek the party ticket following discussions with top party leaders. Despite that decision, Ms Nagawa has maintained that she remains politically active and has not withdrawn from the broader political contest. Ms Nampala now joins a growing list of relatives who have replaced deceased family members in Ugandan politics through by-elections, a trend analyst say is driven by public sympathy, name recognition and political continuity.
According to the Electoral Commission, nominations for candidates will take place between June 10 and 11, while campaigns will run from June 12 to 22 ahead of polling scheduled for June 24.