Museveni rallies Kalangala voters as campaigns for Woman MP by-election end

23 June 2026, 9:40 am

By Ronald Ssemagonja

As campaigns for the Kalangala District Woman Member of Parliament by-election came to a close yesterday, each of the five candidates employed various strategies to convince voters that she is the best choice to replace the late Hon. Hellen Nakimuli, who passed away in April this year after securing a second term in the January 2026 general elections.

It was against this backdrop that the National Resistance Movement (NRM) National Chairman and President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, campaigned in Kalangala District on the final day of campaigns.

Before his arrival, other party leaders had spent the entire campaign period explaining to voters why the NRM candidate was the best option among the contenders. Speaking during an interview on Sunday, the NRM Director of Mobilisation, Dr. Rosemary Nansubuga Seninde, and the party’s Electoral Commission Commissioner, Amb. James Williams Kinobe, expressed confidence that the ruling party would emerge victorious, citing the extensive work done during the campaign period.

Addressing a mega rally at Kibanga Primary School Playground in Kalangala Town Council, Museveni said the district’s development agenda requires leaders who work closely with the government.

“Kalangala, you have a problem. You voted opposition. I don’t know your MP, so who will present your issues because I don’t speak with the opposition,” Museveni said.

He urged voters to elect NRM candidate Nabayiga, arguing that doing so would strengthen coordination with the central government and accelerate service delivery.

The President also pledged that the government would add two ferries on the Nakiwogo–Lutoboka and Bukakata–Kalangala routes, extend electricity services, improve health and education infrastructure, and continue supporting wealth creation initiatives through palm oil growing, the Four-Acre Model and sustainable fishing.

Museveni emphasized that electing Nabayiga would help ensure the realization of these development commitments.

Meanwhile, the chief mobiliser for the National Unity Platform (NUP), Habib Buwembo, accused security agencies of frustrating the party’s efforts to hold a final campaign rally for its candidate, Irene Nampala.

“We harmonised with the Electoral Commission to change our rally venue to Kasekulo Landing Site, but to our dismay, on Sunday evening, officials informed us that we were not supposed to host a rally on the same island as the President. We engaged the Electoral Commission, which permitted us to hold the rally at Kitobo Landing Site. However, later that night, we received information that another candidate would also be campaigning in the same area. We therefore decided to forgo the rally,” Buwembo explained.

Other candidates in the race are Agnes Nasuuna, Sharifa Babirye and Helen Flavia Nagawa, all contesting as independents.

Voting in the by-election will be conducted by secret ballot on 24 June 2026.