By Mulengera Reporters
As of 2021, musicians seemed to be politically invincible as they rode on Bobi Wine’s back to terrorize their opponents. But 2026 was a different ball game altogether and many musicians failed miserably.
The musicians who were unexpectedly defeated included Big Eye who was rejected by NUP EMC much earlier on in favour of Zambale. King Saha, who calls himself Kabaka, had reason to cry over the last Thursday results even though he wasn’t personally a candidate.
For Kyotera county where Saha comes from the NUP candidate on paper was John Paul Mpalanyi, but Saha made himself the defacto candidate when he declared a political personal war on minister Haruna Kasolo of NRM. But in the end, Kasolo won with a margin of more than 5,000 voters and badly defeated Saha’s candidate Mpalanyi.
To that extent, King Saha had the pain of personally losing an election in which he wasn’t a candidate. Betty Sentamu, Bobi Wine’s sister, isn’t a musician but she is into the business of managing and coordinating musicians including her husband Maddox Ssematimba. She stood in Gomba and once again lost to Sylvia Nayebare of NRM.
Geoffrey Lutaaya was defeated by NRM in Kakuuto county which he had miraculously won in 2021. This was because NRM which had dominated Kakuuto since the days of Emmanuel Pinto, had its bosses go into hiding in 2021 because they feared Covid.
An NRM candidate defeated Lutaaya who will have to join NRM, because this is its stronghold, or totally forget about ever coming back to parliament.
Lutaaya tried to fight saying his votes had been stolen but security dragged him out of the tally center as he shed tears like he was a Kampala street boy resisting evacuation by KCCA enforcement officers.
Voters say that Lutaaya betrayed them when he refused to fight for his people of Sango bay when their land was being taken away for palm oil growing.
Others say he was mean and refused to eat with voters the money he was getting in parliament. They wanted him to be like Mathias Kasamba his predecessor who used to splash cash on voters. Lutaaya says that he won’t be wasting time going to court because courts are these days full of Museveni’s cadre judges who behave like RDCs.
Nina Rose Kankunda lost badly on Sembabule woman MP seat because she was broke, came late and had no campaign team in an area which is full of NRM supporters.
Also the pulling out of NUP candidates Idi Semata of Mawogola north and Isaac Tumusiime of Rwemiyaga also weakened Nina Rose because she was counting on them a lot since they are in the same district.
They pulled out of the race saying they were broke yet intimidation was too much. Because she was broke and hard no money to move around, Nina Rose only campaigned in 10 sub counties yet Ssembabule has 17 sub counties plus town councils.
There is no way such a weakling would win against the NRM strong machine. She also spent time away going to sing for supporters at NUP rallies in other districts instead of concentrating on Sembabule.
Musician’s manager Kayemba Solomon was defeated badly in Bukomansimbi south and was defeated by spymaster Hassan Mukiibi who had been working with state house though he stood as an independent.
Mukiibi is super rich and being on independent enabled him to stand in the NUP stronghold of Bukomansimbi without having to account for NRM’s failures.
Unlike Kayemba Solo of NUP who was mean, Mukiibi was generous and put a lot of money in voters.
He used money to win over Kayemba’s campaign agents like Timpulisiyo Kafeero who was also the NUP spokesman for Bukomansimbi.
Unlike Kayemba who is just about words, Mukiibi bought tents, events chairs and saucepans for each parish and this excited voters to abandon Kayemba who now says he lost because Mukiibi’s money was too much.
Kayemba who used to be the manager for Rema Namakula says police also took sides and favored Mukiibi. He wants to try his luck by going to court.
Racheal Magoola of Afrigo band is another musician for whom it ended in tears. She was standing for Bugweri woman MP but voters refused to give her a second term even when she was an NRM leaning independent.
Dr. Hilderman Kiyaga of Mawokota north lost to his maker Amelia Kyambadde of NRM. Voters accused Kiyaga of being stingy and refusing to eat with them. He says Amelia benefited from vote rigging and never defeated him fairly. Kiyaga already had problems with fellow NUPians who accused him of hobnobbing with Mathias Mpuuga and the NRM.
Mpigi mayor David Mutebi was already against him along with John Busuulwa, the Kiringente sub county councilor on the district. They accused him of being a mole for Mpuuga. He will have to either rejoin NRM or become a private jobless citizen once again, the omuyiribi.
