Kyagulanyi, Ssenyonyi, Rubongoya re-elected unopposed for another 5 years
Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine has been sworn in as the president of the National Unity Platform (NUP) for another five years. The swearing-in ceremony was held at the NUP Leadership School at Kamwokya, where the party held its first delegates’ conference under the new leadership of Kyagulanyi. In his address after the swearing-in, Kyagulanyi thanked everybody who had participated in the process. He said up to the last minute, they didn’t know that the delegates’ conference would be held today because of the environment of intimidation they operate under. “We have just held our delegates’ conference; we have just reconstituted our national executive committee, and we are up and running. I want to congratulate all the winners and all of you who participated in this election. It was noble for those who stepped aside, but it was even more noble and courageous for those challenged…so nobody is a loser in the National Unity Platform,” Kyagulanyi said. He asked those who have won to use their new positions to fight for good leadership in the country, especially in the coming general election. “Let’s go to work, we have a massive election ahead of us, and we have tough times ahead. And by the grace of God, we shall win…You did not hear people fighting against each other, exchanging profanities,” Kyagulanyi said. Speaking to the press after the end of the delegates’ conference, Joel Ssenyonyi, the leader of opposition in parliament (LoP), who has also just been re-elected as the party spokesperson, castigated the force that has been used against them by state security agencies, yet they are a registered political party. “We shall continue telling our people to keep peace, but there is always a limit to what people can accept. We are writing a protest letter to security agencies to ask them why they are mistreating us,” Ssenyonyi said. There are questions about the NUP delegates’ conference held today. The number of delegates who attended the meeting and the criteria used in choosing them are all unknown to most people. According to Ssenyonyi, their constitution allows for only 127 delegates, but he didn’t go into how they are chosen. Among the few people we have learnt that have been elected today include: David Lewis Rubongoya, who retains his position as secretary general. Both Rubongoya and Kyagulanyi have been elected unopposed. Ssenyonyi had to defeat Makindye West member of parliament Allan Ssewanyana to retain the position of party spokesperson. Kassanda South MP, Frank Kabuye, replaces his Mityana municipality counterpart, Francis Zaake, as the secretary for youth, while Akiso Benjamin replaces David Musiri as the head of institutions.
MP Mathias Mpuuga Distributes Over 10,000 Coffee Seedlings, Launches New Political Movement — Democratic Front
Parliament Commissioner and Member of Parliament for Nyendo-Mukungwe, Hon. Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba, have distributed over 10,000 coffee seedlings to farmers in Nyendo-Mukungwe Division as part of efforts to uplift their economic wellbeing. The coffee seedlings were given to residents from the areas of Kinyerere, Nyendo, and Katwadde. While handing over the seedlings, Mpuuga emphasized that it is the duty of leaders to work towards improving the lives of the people they serve. He noted that the coffee plants would serve as a long-term economic investment, enabling beneficiaries to generate sustainable income. He particularly urged the youth to take the initiative seriously by planting and caring for the seedlings, adding that he is committed to continuing support for such economic empowerment initiatives. Masaka City Woman MP, Hon. Juliet Kakande, reassured the beneficiaries that the coffee seedlings provided are of excellent quality and should not be taken for granted. She encouraged recipients to utilize the opportunity to escape poverty. During the event, Mpuuga Nsamba officially introduced to the people of Masaka the newly formed political organization known as the Democratic Front (DF). He stated that this time, they would not engage in confrontational political activism but would instead pursue change through lawful and structured means, following disillusioned with former allies who abandoned the cause for political change and instead pursued personal agendas, despite having initially been deeply involved in the struggle. He called on the people of Masaka to trust and rally behind the Democratic Front, built on strong principles, including environmental conservation, symbolized by the tree as a party’s emblem Notably, Mpuuga, along with other members of parliament including Juliet Kakande and Dr. Abed Bwanika of Kimaanya-Kabonera, have parted ways with the National Unity Platform (NUP) due to ongoing disagreements, and are now championing their newly launched political platform, the Democratic Front (DF). Ends
President Museveni Announces Government Plans to Amend Land Law to Curb Illegal Evictions
President Museveni Announces Government Plans to Amend Land Law to Curb Illegal Evictions President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has announced that the government is planning to amend the land law to address the issue of illegal evictions, where unscrupulous individuals force people off their land. Museveni made these remarks during the commemoration of Heroes Day held in Kaliiro Town Council, Lyantonde District. He expressed concern over the increasing cases of people being evicted from their land, blaming it on landowners who take advantage of the ignorance of tenants. Some landowners, he noted, hide behind other people and claim to have taken over the land due to unpaid ground rent (busuulu). To counter this, the president said government will introduce a law to have busuulu payments managed at the sub-county level. The president also praised the people of Lyantonde for their active involvement in farming and animal husbandry. However, he pointed out that one of the remaining challenges is the sharing of family wealth after the death of the head of the family. He advised families not to divide property like land, but rather to sell it and share the proceeds equally. The event began with prayers for the nation, led by religious leaders. The Catholic Bishop of Masaka Diocese Bishop Severus Jjumba prayed for the country’s leaders and all citizens, urging them to uphold peace under the national motto, “For God and My Country.” A total of 50 people received medals during the event — 41 men and 9 women. The ceremony was held under the theme: “The Legacy and Ideals of Our Heroes: A Memorable Inspiration.””
Former Zambian President Lungu dies aged 68
Zambia’s former President Edgar Lungu has died at the age of 68, his party has said in a statement. He had “been receiving specialized treatment in South Africa” for an undisclosed illness, the Patriotic Front (PF) added. Lungu led Zambia for six years from 2015, losing the 2021 election to the current President Hakainde Hichilema by a large margin. After that defeat he stepped back from politics but later returned to the fray. He had ambitions to vie for the presidency again but at the end of last year the Constitutional Court barred him from running, ruling that he had already served the maximum two terms allowed by law. In a short video, Lungu’s daughter Tasila said that the former head of state, who had been “under medical supervision in recent weeks”, died at a clinic in South Africa’s capital, Pretoria, at 06:00 (04:00 GMT) on Thursday. “In this moment of grief, we invoke the spirit of ‘One Zambia, One Nation’ – the timeless creed that guided President Lungu’s service to our country,” she added in an emotional statement. Lungu first became president in January 2015 after winning a special presidential election triggered by the death of Michael Sata. After completing Sata’s term, he won a further five years in power in 2016 taking just over 50% of the vote. But after six years at the helm, Lungu was blamed for a struggling economy and high unemployment. He lost in 2021 by close to a million votes with Hichilema tapping into widespread dissatisfaction among the electorate. He said he was retiring in the aftermath of the vote, but returned to frontline politics in 2023 as his successor’s popularity waned. “I am ready to fight from the front, not from the rear, in defence of democracy. Those who are ready for this fight, please come along with me, I am ready for anything,” Mr Lungu told supporters at the time. Lungu was a lawyer by training but enjoyed a meteoric rise in politics after winning a seat in parliament as a PF MP in 2011. He entered government as deputy minister in the vice-president’s office in that year and rose to become minister of home affairs in just over 12 months. He later became minister of defence and then justice. A close friend described Lungu as a “good foot-soldier, lawyer and politician, father, husband and grandparent”. Born on 11 November 1956, Lungu graduated with a law degree from the University of Zambia in 1981. He also underwent military training at the then Miltez army college in Kabwe. He later worked at Andre Masiye and Company Advocates, Barclays Bank, and Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines.
Matia Kasaija, 81; Moses Ali, 86; Seek another Term in Parliament
The Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Matia Kasaija who doubles as Member of Parliament for Buyanja county in Kibaale district is seeking re-election as MP, saying that the next term will be his last in Parliament. Kasaija who is 81 years old is one of the longest serving lawmakers and members of cabinet. He, on Wednesday picked nomination forms from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) electoral commission offices in Kampala tocontest for the party flag ahead of the 2026 general elections. Speaking to reporters shortly after picking nomination papers, Kasaija was asked why he does not consider leaving the race for young people. In response, the finance minister challenged young people to stand against, and he beat them “hands down.” “Let the youth contest against me and I beat them hands down. Next term, I will leave it for them. This is my last term,” he says. Kasaija added that he is the strongest of all the contenders in the race. “When I look at all my opponents, I don’t see anyone who can defeat me.” Other officials who picked the nomination form to contest for the NRM include Enos Asiimwe, Aine Sodo Kaguta, Hanifa Kawooya, Henry Musasizi, Government Chief Whip, Hamson Obua. Obua said that the NRM walks the talk in promoting democratic principles in Uganda. Second Deputy Prime Minister Gen. Moses Ali, 86, also picked nomination forms to show his interest in representing East Moyo County in Parliament for another term. Ali, who served in Idi Amin’s reign as Finance Minister, has served as the area MP since 2011. The NRM party primaries for all MP aspirants are scheduled to take place on July 16, 2025 Ends
High Court Nullifies Kawempe North MP Election Over Voter Disenfranchisement and Campaigning on Voting Day
Kampala, Uganda | The High Court in Kampala has annulled the election of Luyimbazi Elias Nalukoola as Member of Parliament for Kawempe Division North, citing serious irregularities and a personal election offence committed on polling day. In a landmark judgment delivered by Justice Bernard Namanya, the court ruled that over 16,000 voters were unlawfully disenfranchised when the Electoral Commission failed to transmit results from 14 polling stations, following post-vote violence. This failure, the court held, constituted a substantial violation of the Parliamentary Elections Act and compromised the outcome of the election. The seat now stands vacant, and the court has ordered the Electoral Commission to conduct a fresh by-election for the constituency. According to the court records, although voting occurred peacefully at the affected stations, chaos erupted during the counting process, leading to the destruction of electoral materials and the failure to declare results. The Electoral Commission admitted that it did not take the legally required steps, such as adjourning the vote count or preserving the ballot boxes, thereby violating voter rights enshrined in Article 59 of the Constitution. “…This court finds that the disenfranchisement of 16,640 voters, out of a total turnout of only 28,659, substantially affected the results and cast serious doubt on the legitimacy of the declared winner…,” ruled Justice Namanya. The court further found that Luyimbazi Elias Nalukoola personally campaigned on election day, in contravention of Section 100 of the Parliamentary Elections Act, which expressly prohibits canvassing on polling day. Witnesses testified that Nalukoola’s actions disrupted polling at key stations, and his denials were deemed inadequate by the court. The combination of a constitutional rights violation, non-compliance with electoral procedures, and a proven election offence formed the legal basis for the court’s decision to overturn the results. The petitioner, Nambi Faridah Kigongo, who came second in the race, welcomed the judgment as a victory for democracy and voter rights. She had initially trailed Nalukoola by 8,881 votes, but the court concluded that the excluded votes could have significantly narrowed the margin or changed the outcome entirely. A by-election for Kawempe North is now expected to be scheduled by the Electoral Commission in the coming weeks.
Sheikh Mureebi alleges torture by security operatives after Besigye court session
Sheikh Abdul Hakeem Sulaiman Mureebi, a 50-year-old resident of Nabweru Division in Nansana Municipality, is nursing injuries after he was allegedly assaulted by security operatives following his arrest outside Nakawa Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. Chaos broke out shortly after the court session involving opposition figure Dr. Col. Kizza Besigye, whose case was adjourned to May 29, 2025, by Grade One Magistrate Jonathan Tiyo. As crowds exited the courtroom, plainclothes men swooped in, forcibly bundling Mureebi and Kira Municipality Councilor Katongole into a van commonly referred to as “the drone.” Mureebi, a known supporter of the Justice Forum (JEMA), had reportedly attended the hearing in solidarity with his longtime friend Besigye. He says he was abruptly picked up around midday and subjected to physical abuse in the van and later in an unidentified location. Speaking with visible pain and emotion, Mureebi claimed he was wrongly arrested and beaten, allegedly accused of participating in the courtroom chaos and punching a military officer. He said the officers confiscated his personal belongings, including his phones and documents, and interrogated him about his political affiliations. According to Mureebi, at around 5:00 p.m., he and Councilor Katongole were driven to Mbuya and abandoned without explanation. They later managed to find their way back home. END
Tanga Odoi warns against violence, bribery ahead of NRM Party Elections
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) electoral chairperson, Dr. Tanga Odoi, has warned party members against engaging in violence and voter bribery during the upcoming structural elections. He emphasized that any individuals found involved in such malpractice risk immediate disqualification, specifically naming leaders from Ssembabule District as a point of concern. Eligible voters in tomorrow’s elections include current NRM legislators and flag bearers, members of the NRM Historical Leaders Forum, district executive committee members, LC5 chairpersons or their flag bearers, and newly elected leaders from the various party leagues. Candidates contesting for different positions are required to pay nomination fees, with those vying for the District or City Chairperson position paying 500,000 shillings, while those contesting for mainstream committee and league chairperson positions are required to pay 100,000 shillings. Other league positions attract a fee of 50,000 shillings. Dr. Odoi also confirmed that several districts will not participate in tomorrow’s elections due to various issues. In Amolatar District, elections were halted due to the alleged hiding of delegates. Arua City is dealing with a pending petition, while the Bunyoro sub-region will not vote as it prepares for a visit from President Museveni. Elections in Greater Luweero have also been postponed due to ongoing party activities and will instead be held on May 27. END