By Aggrey Baba
Several former MPs and district leaders who were dropped in 2021 have returned to seek fresh political endorsement as the National Resistance Movement (NRM) continues its nomination process for the 2026 general elections.
The party’s nomination exercise, which opened on June 17, will run until June 30, and covers all elective positions under the NRM flag for MPs, LC5, city mayors, and lord mayors.
On the opening day of the exercise at the NRM Electoral Commission offices in Kampala, a number of familiar faces were seen submitting their nomination forms, hopeful that the coming primaries will give them a second chance.
Among them was Asha Nabulo, the former Sironko District Woman MP, who lost her seat in 2021 to Florence Nambozo, now Minister of State for Karamoja Affairs. Nabulo, accompanied by supporters, filed her papers without much fanfare, but with quiet determination.
Also present was Frank Arinaitwe Rukanirwa, who formerly represented Rubanda East, and is now seeking to return to Parliament.
In Kasanda South, Abdul Bisaso is looking to stage a comeback, while Ibrahim Kitatta, currently serving as the Lwengo District LC5 chairperson, has now shifted his focus to the Bukoto West parliamentary seat.
For many of these individuals, returning to the political scene is about more than just holding office. Some say they want to complete the projects they had started, while others simply want to reassert their presence in the communities they once served.
Political observers say the competition in the NRM primaries may be just as tight as the general election itself. With 2,718 candidates expected to be nominated across the country (including 1,579 for MP seats and 586 women contesting for Woman MP slots) many contestants are not taking any chances.
Whether the party structures and grassroots supporters will be forgiving enough to give the returnees a fresh mandate remains to be seen.
