Former Foreign Affairs Minister and longtime NRM power broker in Sembabule District, Sam Kahamba Kutesa, has intensified his political campaign against NUP’s Gorreth Namugga, pledging to remove her from Parliament in the 2026 elections.
Speaking during a mobilisation tour in Mawogola South, Kutesa accused the Mawogola North MP of failing to deliver for her constituents, insisting her tenure has produced “no tangible results” for the people she represents.
“She just learnt how to speak because she talks a lot but the people of Mawogola North will not eat her word. So, I am ready to do whatever it takes to ensure Namugga is voted out. She has done nothing for our people,” Kutesa told supporters, urging NRM-leaning independents to step down and rally behind official party flag bearers to weaken NUP’s influence in the district.
Kutesa, now in his second week of grassroots mobilisation, has been moving across sub-counties to reinforce NRM support ahead of the 2026 general elections.
His meetings in Mateete and Mitete sub-counties drew large crowds, including several NRM flag bearers who had previously skipped similar events.
During the tour, Kutesa announced what he called a “full-scale battle” against Namugga and the wider NUP structure in Sembabule.
The rivalry between NRM’s Dez Byuuma Oswaldo and incumbent MP Namugga is emerging as one of the district’s tightest contests.
In 2021, Namugga narrowly defeated Byuuma, securing 9,783 votes to his 8,418.
Kutesa described the margin as “a small gap that will not stop NRM from reclaiming the seat.”
"Even if I remain bankrupt, I will put all my money so that Namugga does not return to Parliament," he said.
Tensions within the NRM escalated further after district party chairperson Gen. Phinehas Katirima expelled independent candidates who refused to withdraw from the race, including former district secretary Mary Begumisa and parliamentary hopeful Denis Ddumba.
Byuuma accused the independents of undermining party cohesion, alleging that some falsely claimed support from Kutesa and Katirima.
Meanwhile, Mitete LC3 chairperson Baker Byaayi Ssenyonga, previously aligned to NUP, publicly apologized to residents and pledged support for the NRM, promising to work to ensure Namugga’s defeat.
At the same event, Kutesa welcomed 120 former NUP members who defected to the ruling party, including former NUP registrar for Sembabule, Muhammad Ssemanda.
Kutesa also referenced presidential voting patterns from 2021, noting that although President Museveni won Sembabule with 45,234 votes, Robert Kyagulanyi’s 33,524 votes were “still too many.”
He vowed that Kyagulanyi would “not get even a single vote” from the district in 2026.
With both NRM and NUP consolidating their positions, political temperatures in Sembabule are rising, setting the stage for one of the district’s most closely watched electoral battles.