Long-serving Lwemiyaga County MP Theodore Ssekikubo has suffered a major political blow after losing the NRM party flag to retired Brig Gen Emmanuel Rwashande in Thursday’s primary elections ahead of Uganda’s 2026 general elections.
Deborah Arayo, the Sembabule NRM Electoral Commission returning officer, declared Rwashande the winner with 16,358 votes, translating into 54.3 per cent against Ssekikubo, who garnered 8,702 votes (28.92 per cent).
The other candidates were Edmond Bwire with 960 votes, former state minister for Animal Husbandry, Joy Kabasti with 471 votes and Jacob Kato, who came last with 11 votes.
According to the declaration of results form, Ssekikubo won in only one out of the five sub-counties in Lwemiyaga constituency, which he has represented in parliament for five terms.
Rwashande noted that his win is a representation of the majority voice of voters in Lwemiyaga who are yearning to change the status quo and the non-performance of the incumbent legislator.
Mary Begumisa, the incumbent Sembabule district Woman MP, also lost the party flag to Florence Nambaziira. According to the party Electoral Commission, the incumbent Woman MP came second with 34,032 votes, losing to Nambaziira, who scored 41,733 votes.
Ester Gwajwa scored 15,460 votes, followed by Hellen Mbabazi with 8,357 votes. Notably, in the last general election, Mary Begumisa went to parliament unopposed, but she has since been involved in sharp disagreement with the majority of the local leaders, whom she accuses of undermining her.
The incumbent MP for Mawogola West, also state minister for Health Anifa Kawooya, was also declared winner of the party primaries, beating her main challenger, Wilberforce Begumisa.
Oswaldo Dezi Byuma, a second-time contestant, was also declared the winner of the party flag for Mawogola county after defeating two challengers who including Yasin Kironde and Denis Ddumba
So sorry for sekikubo
These are the NRM diehards who promulgated their new constitution of 1995 to suit their party’s ambitions to govern this country until Jesus comes back to earth. Their parliamentary efforts all along increased the state power of the Republican President to be able to rule this country until he dies in power. It is no wonder that this gentleman is going to be appointed to a major post when NRM doctors another national election victory by 2026!
One understands the mentality of the mandate of the NRM political party. They have turned politics into a lucrative business where retirement is out of the question until death. Look at that Member of Parliament in yellow who should be in an institution where people with mental or excitement illness are placed. He should be in a psychiatric hospital at least and not in the arms of NRM military body guard soldiers escorting him to beg for electoral votes!