Museveni Links Kalangala Development to NRM Victory in Woman MP By-Election
By Skika Reporter
President Yoweri Museveni has intensified the National Resistance Movement’s campaign in Kalangala District, urging voters to elect the party’s candidate in the forthcoming Woman Member of Parliament by-election to strengthen coordination between local leaders and the government.
Addressing residents during a campaign rally on Monday, Museveni argued that effective service delivery requires close collaboration between elected leaders and the government, saying Kalangala had lacked such coordination under the previous parliamentary representation.
“We have been providing services to the people of Kalangala as government, but we did not have an MP who we were working with to ensure efficient service delivery,” Museveni told supporters while campaigning for NRM flag bearer Idah Nabayiga.
The by-election follows the death of former Woman MP Helen Nakimuli, who passed away in April after undergoing surgery in Kampala. Nakimuli was elected on the ticket of the National Unity Platform.
Nabayiga faces competition from NUP candidate Irene Nampala and independent contenders Hellen Flavia Nagawa, Sharifah Babirye Kaala, and Agnes Nassuuna.
As campaigning enters its final stages, senior NRM leaders have expressed confidence that the ruling party will reclaim the seat. The party’s Director for Mobilisation, Rosemary Sseninde, said extensive grassroots mobilisation had strengthened support for Nabayiga across the island district.
According to Sseninde, the NRM is targeting more than 70 percent of the vote, citing what she described as positive feedback from local communities and party structures that have been conducting door-to-door mobilisation campaigns.
“We have worked with local leaders and communities, and we are optimistic that the support we have built will translate into victory,” she said during an engagement with women leaders in Mugoye Sub-county.
The mobilisation campaign has focused heavily on women voters, with party officials encouraging local leaders to rally support for Nabayiga and educate communities about government development initiatives.
Sseninde also urged residents to take advantage of wealth-creation programmes such as the Parish Development Model, arguing that many potential beneficiaries fail to access government support because of limited information.
Meanwhile, Faridah Kibowa called on women in Kalangala to support leaders capable of working closely with government institutions to attract development opportunities and public services to the district.
The Kalangala by-election is being closely watched by both the ruling NRM and opposition parties as a key political test ahead of Uganda’s broader electoral contests. For the NRM, a victory would strengthen its influence in the island district, while the opposition hopes to retain a seat it previously held through the late Nakimuli.
Campaign activities are expected to continue across the district as candidates make their final appeal to voters ahead of polling day.
