Veteran politicians Prof Ephraim Kamuntu and Dr Elioda Tumwesigye are set to return to Parliament after winning the Sheema South and Sheema North parliamentary seats respectively in the 2026 general elections, completing political comebacks that underline the enduring influence of long-serving leaders in the district.
Prof Kamuntu, 80, a former Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, won the Sheema South seat on the National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket after defeating the incumbent, Prof Elijah Dickens Mushemeza.
According to final results declared by the Electoral Commission, Kamuntu polled 15,337 votes, while Mushemeza secured 10,417.
Kamuntu had earlier defeated Mushemeza in the NRM primaries held last year, reclaiming the party flag he lost in 2020 and setting the stage for his return to elective politics.
He last served as Member of Parliament for Sheema South from 2016 to 2021 in the 10th Parliament.
His parliamentary career spans several decades, during which he has also served in Cabinet, including as Minister of Water and Environment.
Kamuntu’s victory marks a return to national politics after a five-year absence from Parliament.
In Sheema North, Dr Elioda Tumwesigye also staged a decisive comeback, winning the parliamentary seat on the NRM ticket with 17,506 votes. He defeated independent candidate Julius Musinguzi, who polled 3,270 votes.
Dr Tumwesigye is one of the longest-serving legislators from western Uganda, having first entered Parliament in 2001. He previously represented Sheema Municipality until 2016, when he was appointed Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation.
He has also served as Minister of Information and Communications Technology, as well as Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, before leaving Cabinet.
His return to Parliament adds another experienced voice to the NRM parliamentary caucus at a time when several long-serving ministers and MPs lost their seats in the same elections.
Meanwhile, the Sheema District Woman Member of Parliament seat was won by Adrine Katusiime Mwebesa of the NRM, who secured a commanding victory with 50,754 votes.
Independent candidate Jacklet Atuhaire came second with 25,795 votes.
The results consolidate the NRM’s dominance in Sheema District and signal a renewed voter preference for experienced political figures alongside continuity in party representation as the country prepares for the 11th Parliament.