By Mulengera Reporters
In their Wednesday edition, the Monitor newspaper carried a frontpage story focusing on what the editors chose to flag as some of the toughest MP races to be watched as the country counts down to the 2026 general elections date (Monday 15th January).
On Buganda region, several races were profiled including that of Rwemiyaga County in Sembabule district. The newspaper referred to the incumbent Theodore Ssekikubo (who has been there since 2001), Brig Emmanuel Rwashande, NUP’s Isaac Museveni Tumusiime, Independent candidate Joseph Migadde Amooti and ex-Transport Minister Joy Kafura Kabatsi as among those fghting for the Seat.
However, shortly after reading the story, Kabatsi spoke to a group of journalists and made it clear she isn’t running for the same seat this time round. Having previously stood for Sembabule Woman MP slot which she kept losing to Anifa Kawooya (who she says thrived on stealing her votes), in 2021 Kabatsi stood for Rwemiyaga County, going against Ssekikubo who had been her ally for more than 20 years in the very volatile politics of Sembabule.
For the 2026 political season, Kabatsi says she won’t be standing because she feels she has personally been targeted by a group of powerful generals and army officers who have been rallied to embolden the Rwashande bid.
“He [Rwashande] is no doubt a very bad man, who I regret bringing to Rwemiyaga as someone coming to do livestock farming, and I feel he must be stopped at all cost from becoming a leader in our area. He is bad to everyone but in my case, I feel he is out to target me in a more deliberate way for reasons which I don’t understand. Can you imagine he grabbed all my DR forms and used my results [in NRM party primaries] to declare himself the flag bearer for Rwemiyaga?” Kabatsi asserted making it clear she wasn’t making herself available for molestation by Rwashande whose she says doesn’t have any other winning strategy apart from plotting mischief and occasioning violence on the innocent sons and daughters of Sembabule come voting day. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
