As days to the 2026 general elections tick away, more and more Ugandans continue to pick interest to contest in various electable positions in the country, and Mbale City Woman’s MP seat has not stood in isolation in this respect, as five people are hotly warming to topple sitting MP Connie Nakayenze Galiwango.
While incumbent Nakayeze lost the NRM primaries and decided to stand as an independent, three of those vying to stand are from the ruling NRM party, while one is standing on a National Unity Platform (NUP) ticket and one on the FDC card.
As the six are vigorously engaged in clandestine campaigns, tension in Mbale city is high and the divisions among supporters have inevitably shot up.
The Deputy Mayor for Mbale City Harriet Kakayi (FDC) made his political entry as a councillor and is now eyeing the top woman seat. It could not readily be established how politically strong she is but the fact is that Bugisu region is an FDC strong hold.
Connie Nakayenze Ggaliwango, the incumbent Woman MP, (Ind), is yet to make a vigorous appearance among voters, and according to sources, she played a low tone even during the landslide incident, but it should be remembered that she lost her husband, Dr. Hassan Galiwango and as a result, she could be still nursing the effects of the big loss.
Lydia Wanyoto is the head of the NRM Women’s League and a party CEC member. She holds the party flag which she won from Nakayenze in 2021. Unfortunately, she but did not go beyond that as Nakayenze trounced her in the major election round.
The two hitherto strong NRM diehards do not meet eye to eye. Nakayenze has perennially been beating Wanyoto since 2016 but the latter says she has identified the loopholes and taken fool proof measures.
The Chairperson of the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) Dr. Sarah Wasagali Kanaabi, a professional engineer, is deemed to be on top of all the contestants as far as education is concerned. Dr Wasagali is beginning with the NRM primaries.
Robinah Nadunga campaigned in style in 2021 when the NUP party leader Robert Kyagulanyi vigorously campaigned for her in the last round but unfortunately, she lost the race to Nakayenze.
And finally Ritah Namuwenge alias ‘Maama Myooga’ (NRM) who also began as a councillor for Nkoma ward in 2021. She has gained sizeable popularity because of her top involvement in the PDM and ‘emyooga’, the government’s poverty alleviation interventions.