The Electoral Commission has flagged off the campaigns for the Kawempe North by election and the candidates geared up for the race.
Ten people have been cleared by the EC to contest for the constituency to replace Muhammad Ssegirinya, the fallen legislator who died earlier this year.
The ten include five independents: Muhammad Lusswa Luwemba, Hanifa Karadi Murewa, Moses Nsereko, Muhamood Mutazindwa, and Stanley Edward Maitum Engen.
Other candidates in the race are Elias Nalukoola (NUP), Kasaca Henry Mubiru (DP), Faridah Nambi (NRM), Sadat Mukiibi (FDC) and Ismail Musitwa (PPP).
While people outside the constituency are watching only NUP’s Elias Nalukoola and NRM’s Faridah Nambi, residents of Kawempe know it will not be a big surprise if neither Nalukoola nor Nambi win.
A number of potentially more popular candidates have emerged, and both Nalukoola and Faridah Nambi are likely to face stiff competition from their party members who contested as independents .
They are Muhammad Lusswa Luwemba, a supporter of NUP and former aide to Muhammad Ssegirinya, Moses Nsereko an NUP supporter, Hanifah Karadi a vocal NRM supporter, and former RDC for Jinja district.
Each of them has a reasonable number of followers from NUP and NRM who do not support party flag bearers, thus dividing the party votes.
To make matters worse for NUP’s Elias Nalukoola, other opposition parties including DP, FDC, PPP and other forces of change like PFF have also fronted their own candidates.
Political analysts assert that if opposition parties had not fronted their party candidates and independents like Muhammod Lusswa Luwemba and Moses Nsereko from NUP, Elias Nalukoola would be looked at as the opposition candidate.
Reports indicate that Muhammad Lusswa Luwemba the former personal assistant to Muhammad Ssegirinya is more popular in the constituency, and his presence on the ballot may claim Nalukoola’s victory.
Lusswa is said to have been backed by the Democratic Alliance group led by Commissioner of Parliament and former NUP Vice President for Buganda region, Hon. Mathias Mpuuga.
Mpuuga is expected to provide him with strategic and logistical support to win the election.
However, as of now, NUP’s Nalukoola is still likely to be a strong contender, and many voters in the constituency believe he is fit to represent them in parliament.
On the other side, NRM’s Hanifa Karadi’s presence as an independent candidate in the race means a reduction in the number of votes Faridah Nambi would have had as a party flag bearer.
Hanifah Karadi, who was the former RDC for Jinja, thinks she has more chances of winning this constituency compared to her party flag bearer, Faridah Nambi whom they accuse of being a non- resident of the constituency.
Hanifah Karadi has positioned herself well in the politics of the area and in the security circles.
Other independents are Muhamood Mutazindwa a PPF supporter, and Stanley Edward Maitum Engeni, son of the former president of Uganda, Apollo Milton Obote.
Experts think that even though Kawempe Division is the opposition stronghold, the presence of many opposition independents in the race could divide the opposition vote, making it hard to predict the winner.
Kawempe North consists of nine parishes, including Kawempe I, Bwaise I, Kazo Angola, Kawempe II, Kanyanya, Kyebando, Kikaaya, Komamboga and Mpererwe.
Campaigns are going to run until 11th March, this year, and voters will head to the polls on 13th March 2025.
