A total of 64 candidates are set to contest for 11 parliamentary seats across the Greater Luweero area, setting the stage for intense political competition in the 2026 General Election.
The two-day nomination exercise, which ended last Thursday, saw Luweero District registering the highest number of aspirants with 29 candidates vying for four parliamentary seats. The nominations signal intensified political activity across the Greater Luweero region, with the National Unity Platform (NUP) and the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) fielding candidates in most constituencies.
They are joined by several candidates on the independent ticket and from other political parties, including the Democratic Party (DP), Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), People’s Front for Freedom and Democracy (PFF), and the Democratic Forum (DF). However, the proliferation of independent candidates-many of whom remain aligned to their former political parties-threatens to fragment the electoral landscape and significantly impact the prospects of official party flagbearers.
This is particularly concerning the NRM, which is battling to reclaim parliamentary seats in Luweero District, widely regarded as the party’s political Mecca (cradle land) and historical stronghold. Of the 29 candidates nominated in Luweero District, 13 are running as independents, with six of them reported to be NRM-leaning after losing in the July party primaries. In Katikamu South Constituency, the NRM-leaning candidates who have been nominated as independents include Patricia Magara, Alfred Muwanga, Mugisha Marvin, and Zena Ali Merycillar. In Katikamu North Constituency, former Luweero District chairperson and ex-Luweero NRM chairperson Ronald Ndawula has rejoined the race as an independent candidate after losing in the party primaries.
Mr Ndawula alleges he was robbed of victory during the primary elections. His candidacy is expected to split the NRM vote and potentially undermine the chances of the party’s official flagbearer, Mr Gaddafi Nassur, winning. A similar scenario is unfolding in Bamunanika Constituency, where Ms Elizabeth Anyine Salabwa has been nominated to contest as an independent candidate, citing unfair treatment during the party primaries. Her decision poses a significant threat to the NRM flagbearer, Mr Robert Kiyini, whose prospects of securing victory could be jeopardised by the divided party vote.
Despite various efforts and multiple reconciliation meetings aimed at persuading defeated aspirants to support official flagbearers, most have refused to step down. Apart from Ms Cissy Mulondo, who was prevailed upon by President Museveni to withdraw from the Luweero Woman MP race, all other dissatisfied candidates who lost in the NRM primaries have returned to contest as independents.
NRM responds
The surge of independent candidates with NRM affiliation is a critical concern for the ruling party as it seeks to reclaim parliamentary seats in the Greater Luweero area. Ms Rose Namayanja, the NRM deputy secretary general, attributes the party’s loss of all four MP positions to NUP in the 2021 General Election to this same phenomenon. ‘During the last elections, when you combine the votes of all NRM members, including those who ran as independent candidates, they were more than what the NUP candidates who won the seat got.
This means if we had fielded one candidate in each of the constituencies, the NRM would have won,’ Ms Namayanja explained. The trend extends beyond Luweero, with Nakasongola District registering 13 independents out of 19 candidates, 11 of whom are identified as NRM-leaning. In Nakaseke District, four of the 16 candidates are running as independents, with one being NRM-leaning after losing in the party primaries. Nevertheless, party leaders said they are going to embark on an intensive grassroots mobilisation campaign in the next two months to secure victory for all party flagbearers.
They plan to undertake door-to-door outreach and ward-level meetings to consolidate support and rally voters behind the party’s candidates in what has become a fight to reclaim its former stronghold. ‘We aim to reach everyone in less than two months, explaining to the people the reasons why they should vote for the NRM,’ Ms Namayanja said. According to the Electoral Commission, official campaigns for MP races will run from November 10 to January 13, 2026. Polling is scheduled for January 15, 2026.