Africa-Press – Uganda. As Uganda edges toward the 2026 general elections, Mityana District has once again taken center stage in national politics—not as a stronghold for any single party, but as a flashpoint of internal turmoil within both the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP).
Long regarded as an NRM stronghold, Mityana has shifted politically in recent years, culminating in NUP’s decisive victory in 2021, when the opposition party claimed three of the district’s five parliamentary seats.
These included Mityana Municipality, represented by Francis Zaake Butebi; Mityana Woman MP Joyce Bagala; and Mityana East’s David Lukyamuzi Kalwanga.
The NRM retained only Mityana North through Muhammad Kibedi Nsegumire, while Mityana South went to Richard Lumu of the Democratic Party.
Yet even with these electoral outcomes, political analyst Richard Kyambadde says the district remains unsettled.
“NRM is not losing ground because the opposition has grown stronger,” Kyambadde said.
“They’re losing because of their own internal weaknesses. Factionalism, particularly disputes involving senior figures like Godfrey Kiwanda and MP Muhammad Kibedi, is damaging party cohesion at a time when unity is crucial.”
In response, the NRM has launched a regional campaign branded Buganda for Museveni, though it has so far been limited to Mityana North.
The absence of a district-wide mobilization effort underscores what many see as the party’s continued struggle to reconnect with a disillusioned electorate.
Faith Tumwebaze, the NRM District Registrar for Mityana, described the campaign as a turning point, asserting that the party has learned from its poor performance in 2021 and is now more united.
“This campaign is a turning point for us,” Tumwebaze said. “The NRM is more united now than ever. Losing key positions to NUP was a wake-up call, and we are ready to bounce back.”
But the NRM’s new momentum has drawn criticism from NUP leaders. David Kalwanga, MP for Busujju Constituency, dismissed the Museveni for Buganda initiative as “wishful thinking” and warned the ruling party not to underestimate the opposition’s deep grassroots presence.
“The NRM should not make the mistake of underestimating us,” Kalwanga said. “NUP is more organized on the ground now than ever before.”
At the heart of voter discontent in Mityana are persistent development challenges, despite the district’s proximity to the capital.
Faustine Mukambwe Lukonge, NUP chairman for Mityana Municipality, accused the government of neglecting essential services.
“As political battles escalate, the real issues affecting our people—like health care, education, and rural infrastructure—are being ignored,” Lukonge said.
“The NRM has consistently failed Mityana.”
However, NUP’s dominance is not without its own cracks. Internal divisions have begun to surface, most notably in the fallout between Woman MP Joyce Bagala and the party’s leadership—a rift the NRM is reportedly eager to exploit.
“NUP succeeded in 2021 by riding a wave of public anger,” Kyambadde noted. “But if they miscalculate and don’t resolve their internal conflicts, they risk losing the very seats they fought so hard to win.”
Beyond partisan politics, the district’s cultural identity and longstanding tensions between the central government and the Buganda Kingdom also continue to shape the political atmosphere. Unresolved disputes over land compensation and the government’s occupation of Buganda-owned properties remain sore points.
Heading into 2026, the outcome in Mityana may hinge less on party loyalty and more on which side better responds to the electorate’s urgent demands.
For the NRM, this means mending internal rifts and delivering tangible development. For the NUP, it means maintaining unity and offering clear, actionable policy alternatives.
As election day approaches, Mityana stands as a political weathervane—gauging not just the strength of political parties, but the growing impatience of voters weary of broken promises and political infighting.
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