Jubilation over bagging the NUP card
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The National Unity Platform (NUP) Uganda’s leading opposition party, has released a tentative list of its parliamentary flagbearers for the 2026 elections.
Several prominent figures including Mityana Woman MP Joyce Bagala and Busiro East MP Medard Lubega Ssegona were dropped. Others who were dropped include Mathias Mpuuga in Nyendo Mukungwe and former party leader Abed Bwanika from Kimanya Kabonera. Gyavira Ssebina Lubowa replaces Mpuuga and Patrick Kuteesa will step into the shoes of Bwanika.
The list is full of a mix of incumbents as well as new faces who managed to secure party backing.
While prominent members such as Joel Ssenyonyi (Nakawa West), Shamim Malende (Kampala Woman), and David Lewis Rubongoya (Kampala Central Division) feature prominently, others were left out following what party officials said were months of vetting, consultations, and internal reviews.
Bagala, who has served as Shadow Minister for Information, and Ssegona, the party’s deputy president for Buganda region, were visibly missing on the list.
The party has endorsed several new faces, many of them youthful candidates or activists with strong grassroots connections.
The list features a lineup of new faces in Wakiso District, including Betty Ethel Naluyima (Woman MP), Namatta Namuli Joyce (Entebbe Municipality), and Walukagga Mathias (Busiro County East).
It also features David Lewis Rubongoya, the NUP Secretary General, will contest Kampala Central Division and Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro, the party’s Deputy Spokesperson, who will stand in Nakawa East Division.
Others include Nalukoola Elias Luyimbaazi, who will run for Kawempe North, Kasirye Nganda Ali, for Makindye East Division, Nantongo Fortunate Rose who will stand as Woman MP for Kyotera District.
Other contestants include Nakwedde Harriet who will stand as Kayunga Woman MP, Kaaya Christine Nakimwero for Kiboga Woman MP, as well as Zaake Francis Butebi, who will stand in Mityana Municipality.
Luyirika has been moved to Makindye West, a constituency that has been led by Allan Ssewanyana, while Fred ‘Chairman’ Nyanzi, the former NUP national mobiliser and elder brother of party leader Robert Kyagulanyi, will carry the Kawempe South flag. He steps into a constituency previously represented by journalist-turned-politician Bashir Kazibwe.
Sources disclosed that Kyagulanyi is set to launch the Parliamentary campaigns in Kampala next month.
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