By Aggrey Baba
After a long quiet spell, Hon. Amelia Kyambadde, the former Mawokota North MP and Senior Presidential Advisor on Industry, has announced a return to the political arena, alleging persistent pressure from voters.
Speaking on NBS Tv’s Morning Breeze, Wednesday, Kyambadde revealed that she had decided to step away from elective politics following her 2021 defeat to National Unity Platform (NUP)’s Hillary Kiyaga (Dr. Hilderman). But now, the voices from Mawokota North have become too loud to ignore.
“I had made peace with my exit, but everywhere I go, traders, youth, Boda Boda riders, they’re all asking me to come back. The pressure is real,” she said.
The once darling leader of Mawokota, lost the 2021 race with 12,519 votes, while Hilderman cruised to victory with 31,817. Yet, her passion for community work and unfinished projects has pulled her back into the political ring.
She says she has grown increasingly frustrated by the current popstar’s failure to deliver tangible results.
“What hurts is that there’s so much unfinished business. I even reached out to the MP, but he said he doesn’t work with the NRM government,” Kyambadde stated.
Her return comes at a time when the National Unity Platform itself is battling internal tremors, and in recent weeks, the party has warned its rebellious MPs to apologize or risk losing its support come 2026.
Kiyaga, though not directly named, has occasionally been at odds with his party’s direction, sparking whispers about his standing within the NUP hierarchy.
Analysts believe this internal pressure could weaken Kiyaga’s grip on Mawokota North, especially if the party views him as disloyal. One such moment of controversy was when he openly questioned some of the party’s strategies in Parliament, a move that did not sit well with top party officials.
Kyambadde, once seen as a symbol of NRM’s long-standing grip on the constituency, admitted in the past that the party had lost favor with many, even among those who still respected her as a person.
“People were tired. They liked me but disliked the party,” she previously told a certain media house, also admitting that her presence no longer sparked the excitement it once did. “There were times I had to force people to clap for me.”
Now, she’s shifting gears, where instead of assuming loyalty, Kyambadde is engaging voters directly to understand their past frustrations.
“I’ve learned not to take support for granted. I’ve changed my approach. I’ve lost before, so I know how to prepare better this time,” she said.
As the saying goes, “Even the mightiest tree was once a tender shoot.” And for Kyambadde, the shoot may be sprouting again, just as her rival’s roots begin to feel the shake of political winds. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
