By Mulengera Reporters
The latest leaks regarding the allocation of NUP tickets and flag bearer positions for 2026 have indicated that Busiro East big man Medard Segona Lubega has been permitted to retain his MP Seat while first term Wakiso Woman MP Betty Ethel Naluyima has been sacrificed.
Sources close to the process say that between Segona and outgoing Wakiso LC5 Chairman Matia Lwanga Bwanika, one had to be retained and another discarded.
In the end, it was decided that a more disposable and Busiro South MP job-seeking Bwanika gets disregarded largely because years earlier he rejected proposals to consider Busiro North and also because of his unforgivable sin of standing up to Kavule-backed Nasif Najja who Bobi Wine wants to become the new Wakiso Governor.
Bwanika up to this point backs ex-Ssabagabo MP Sajjalyabene Sempala Kigozi against Nasif Najja who has been giving him hard time as Wakiso Speaker. By going to war with Nasif, Bwanika dug his own grave and crossed a red line because the outgoing Wakiso Speaker has a close friendship going back many years with Bobi Wine.
Nasif’s young brother, another Najja, is the principal’s chief of staff at the office. So, there is no way Bwanika would stand up to such a well placed official and still have a place in NUP. A one Kikomeko, who happens to be King Saha’s friend, is the one being favored for Busiro South, not even the wealthy Steven Sekigozi.
Meanwhile a decision has been made to discard the high-performing Betty Ethel Naluyima, a Matia Lwanga Bwanika mentee and his ex-deputy at Wakiso, largely because Kavule sees her as George Musisi-sceptic and someone unwilling to fight Semujju Nganda enough for Kira Municipality MP job. Kavule believes Naluyima’s lukewarmness is one of the major reasons why the pro-Musisi momentum has been slow in the ghettos of Kira.
So, Naluyima, who is uncomfortable fighting Semujju in Kira where she also hails and started her politics from as councillor and deputy mayor, is largely being punished for perceived secret support for the PFF strongman’s re-election bid and hostility to George Musisi who is a Kyagulanyi blue-eyed boy.
In her place, Kavule-based EMC has been directed to front Sylivia Namutyaba, a foot soldier who is always running besides Kyagulanyi’s car and active on X pushing back against Gen MK’s tweets. Because a signal has been made to her that she is the next Woman MP for Wakiso, Namutyaba has lately been in over drive on social media platforms deliberately to increase her visibility, name-recognition and profile.
Bwanika, who Kavule thinks has limited capability to rock the boat and cause chaos for the NUP brand, will have to run for Busiro South Seat either as an independent or under Erias Lukwago’s PFF or Mpuuga’s DF. He is a close ally of Dr. Besigye, which is why he might feel more at home at Katonga than Namirembe. Her blossoming political relationship with Semujju Nganda has been used by pundits to explain why Naluyima, who has to seek re-election whether Mr. Wine likes it or not, might come under PFF.
Whereas all Luwero incumbents are staying put at the instigation of Muwanga Kivumbi, who has also effectively fought for Nakifuuma’s Fred Simbwa too along with another Kavule influencer Betty Nambooze, outgoing Kampala Woman MP Shamim Malende has already been signalled not to hope against hope because her seat has already been allocated in favour of wealthier Zahara Luyirika, the outgoing KCCA Speaker.
Malende, who has vowed to go down fighting to keep her Kampala job, is being persuaded to accept joining veteran politician Kenneth Paul Kakande to become NUP flag bearers for the EALA race 2027. She currently isn’t accepting this so far asserting she is best suited for Kampala Woman MP slot. Many inside Kavule have little regard for Malende because majority of the decision makers there know a lot about her personal story and private life before meeting Mr. Sebunya.
The other slightly related update is about reasons why Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya isn’t adequately comfortable with Fred Nyanzi, who will get the NUP flag for Kawempe South but might end up losing to NRM’s Madina Nsereko because of the confusion and opposition vote-divisive effect Dr. Roy Semboga’s candidature might create. A signal has already been sent to Semboga not to expect the NUP ticket notwithstanding his founding role in NUP.
Nyanzi, it has been discovered, isn’t exactly very enthusiastic towards Rubongoya in Kampala Central MP race because Minister Minsa Kabanda, the NRM candidate for the same, is his long-term ally in the politics of Kampala’s CBD. This reality makes Rubongoya sleepless because Nyanzi has significant remnants of support in Kampala Central despite his relocation to Kawempe. It’s also true that Eng Panadol Muzamir Katumba, the Minsa Kabanda influential chief of staff, was for long a PA to Fred Nyanzi before defecting to NRM which deployed him to work at the Kampala Ministry.
In Makindye East, Derrick Nyeko is getting back the flag because he is low profile and has demonstrated adequate personal loyalty to the principal. He also helps NUP rebut the tribalism claims. In Makindye West, the flag is going to youthful David Musisi (ex-Stella Nyanzi boyfriend) who heads the academic institutions desk in NUP. This will leave old man Ali Mulyanyama with an egg on his face. He had started on Lord Mayorship against Erias Lukwago before eating a humble pie and dropping to Makindye West MP Seat.
Now the English speaking-deficient comical politician is headed for the political Taiwan because a decision has been taken to disregard him on grounds of being too raw for Parliamentary material.
Knowledgeable sources say that, just like Allan Sewanyana, Mulyanyama will end up running as either a NUP-leaning MP or as a candidate sponsored by PFF.
He has previously (2011-2016) worked well with Erias Lukwago for whom he was deputy chief of staff under Hajjat Sarah Kanyike who subsequently became Deputy Lord Mayor before defecting to NRM.
Whereas money-splashing Kiruluta is being favoured to replace Francis Katabazi in Kalungu East, Joseph Sewungu is safe in Kalungu West. In nearby Masaka City, outgoing Makerere Assistant Bursar Ssebina Gyavira is being favoured to take on Mathias Mpuuga for Nyendo-Mukungwe and Jude Mbabali (who was recently confronted by colleagues at the Pope Paul Club for stooping as low as bowing before Kavule) struggles to be fronted against the deeply-entrenched Abed Bwanika in Kimanya-Kabonera.
Lugazi Municipality’s Stephen Serubulwa (who NRM’s MP Panadol Mugema a few days ago aided to borrow some Shs4.5m to pay part of his Shs10m pledge to the NUP fundraising) is safe for the 2026 ticket. In Mpigi, Dr. Joel Mirembe is taking the thing for Mawokota South to face off with Counsel Yusuf Nsibambi of the FDC.
In Mawokota North, incumbent MP Hilderman Kiyaga needs prayers as the final decision is pending on his fate. Muwanga Kivumbi is trying his best to shield him though area Woman MP Teddy Namboze hasn’t been that lucky. She isn’t getting the card after Kavule obtained some sensitive information depicting disloyalty.
This was all intercepted by SG Rubongoya whose best friend is favoured to take the Mpigi Woman MP flag. The NUP Secretary General, for whom money isn’t a problem anymore, successfully planted foot soldiers to serve as moles on many of the incumbent MPs. That is how many incumbent MPs have been recorded privately making derogatory comments about the principal’s suitability to rule Uganda.
Whereas Mukono Woman Hanifah Nabukeera is being disfavoured to keep her Seat, largely because she is at active loggerheads with Betty Nambooze, a no decision has firmly been taken against LC5 Chairman Rev Peter Bakaluba Mukasa whose seat has been allocated to ex-Mukono Mayor and ex-Mukono South MP Jackson Muyanja Ssenyonga who has since been convinced to abandon the Mukono South bid. Ssenyonga is also valued addition to NUP because of his high pedigree, having previously held the prestigious position of being Buganda caucus chairman in Parliament.
But much of this direction the NUP politics is taking in Mukono is largely about Betty Nambooze playing her intrigue card, which over the years has victimized many and in return alienated her from a lot of former allies. Long-serving Nambooze (actually the longest serving opposition MP in Buganda) actively hates and is currently at war with both Bakaluba Mukasa and Nabukeera who have already come together to form their own coalition comprising of Nambooze adversaries and intrigue victims in Mukono. Their coalition members intend to run as NUP-leaning independents though even the option of following Lulume Bayiga in PFF isn’t off the table as yet. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
