By Aggrey Baba
The battle for Kawempe North is not a game, and Ofwono Opondo, the executive director of Uganda Media Center, has issued a stern warning that National Resistance Movement (NRM) is coming to dismantle the opposition’s grip on Kampala, and no amount of youthful swagger will change that.
During a heated debate on NBS Television, Opondo dismissed the idea that NUP has an automatic victory in the upcoming by-election, insisting that the ruling party is ready to challenge the opposition head-on.
“NUP is fooling itself if it believes it has a monopoly on young people.”
“In the last election, 73% of the NRM MPs were replaced by younger candidates. That alone is proof that the youth are not tied to any one party. They go where the leadership is strong, and in this election, they will make the right choice,” Opondo said.
The Kawempe North by-election, scheduled for March 14, 2025, follows the death of former legislator, Muhammad Ssegirinya, and with NUP seeking to retain the seat, the NRM is determined to make inroads and the contest has become a high-stakes political battle.
Ofwono, in a sharp tone, dismissed NUP’s confidence as baseless. “They act as if they are untouchable, but they are about to face reality.” “We have won in places where we never used to, and we are not coming to play in Kawempe,” he declared.
He pointed to NRM’s rising influence in regions previously dominated by the opposition, saying “In West Nile, we are at 80%. In Acholi, we have taken 70% from FDC. In Teso, it is almost 100%. Those who think NRM is finished are living in a dream.”
The media center boss also issued a direct challenge to NUP’s leadership. “This business of threatening us with youth power will not save them. Maybe in Buganda, but even here, we are putting them on notice. We will sweep them away like we have done in other regions,” he warned.
Opondo also warned NUP’s Deputy President for Buganda, Hon. Muwanga Kivumbi who also doubles as the Butambala member or parliament, specifically addressing his recent remarks and warning him directly. “If you think you’re very powerful, we can pin you even in Butambala in 2026 to the extent that you won’t be able to leave your constituency to campaign for your party candidates,” Opondo said sharply.
He went on to elaborate, “We shall empower our NRM candidate to such an extent that the pressure will make it virtually impossible for you to move. You won’t even be able to leave your constituency to go to Kampala or anywhere else. We have executed similar tactics in other areas before, and the results were undeniable.”
This was a clear message of the NRM’s readiness to exert significant pressure and dominance, emphasizing that they are prepared to fight tooth and nail, even in areas where they have previously struggled to make a mark.
Kivumbi, unbothered by the warning, responded with equal force. “I dare you to try me. You may not even know Butambala as well as you think you do. No one is even interested in picking your ticket there. You might fail to even have an NRM flagbearer in Butambala.”
Kivumbi’s reply was a sharp challenge to Opondo’s confidence, questioning the NRM’s ability to sustain control even in areas they had once considered strongholds.
He also pointed to internal divisions within the NRM in Butambala, suggesting that some members who were once loyal to the ruling party were now planning to run as independents, thereby weakening the NRM’s position in that region.
With nominations set for February 26 and 27, and campaigns running from February 28 to March 11, the battle lines are drawn.
For Opondo, the by-election is not just about a seat in Parliament, but proving that NRM is regaining control. [They think Kampala is locked down, but they are about to get the shock of their lives].
The countdown to the elections is on, and with tensions already high, the old adage, that a warrior who underestimates his enemy does so at his own risk, and a cock that crows too early may find itself in the cooking pot, ring true. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
