The 2026 general elections have delivered a political upheaval in Uganda’s Ankole sub-region, with over 16 incumbent Members of Parliament losing their seats.
Political analysts attribute the wave of defeats to voter fatigue and growing dissatisfaction with MPs perceived to have offered ineffective representation.
Many of the incumbents who lost are reported to have won their 2021 seats under controversial circumstances, exploiting the COVID-era lockdown to conduct elections without rallies and allegedly using vote-buying tactics.
Moses Nuwagaba, a renowned lawyer and political analyst in Mbarara, noted that several MPs capitalized on the lockdown to distribute money rather than present concrete development programs.
“Most of the people who won elections in 2021 did so not because of programs but because of money distribution. That trend caught up with them in 2026. Those who lost had failed to serve their constituents,” Nuwagaba said.
He added that the electorate is experiencing “general fatigue” with long-serving politicians, a trend initiated by the NRM since 2006, emphasizing that even strong development records may not shield incumbents from voter rejection.
Gausiozo Tindamanyire, a former MP for Bunyaruguru County, highlighted the role of youth and social media in reshaping the political landscape.
“There is a new wave. Young people have woken up and are challenging the old guard. Voters, especially those who did not witness past regimes, are demanding services, not stories,” Tindamanyire said.
Among the notable incumbents who lost their seats are Francis Mwijukye of Buhweju County, Basil Bataringaya of Kashari North, Robert Rukaari of Mbarara City North, Ritah Bwahika Atukwasa of Mbarara City Woman, Donozio Kahonda of Ruhinda South, and Prof. Elijah Mushemeza of Sheema South.
All female MPs in the Ankole districts were unseated except for NRM’s Annet Katusiime Mugisha, the incumbent woman MP for Bushenyi District. In total, including those who did not contest after losing NRM primaries, 21 incumbents from Ankole will be absent from Uganda’s 12th Parliament.
The elections signal a generational and political shift in the sub-region, reflecting voters’ growing insistence on accountability and service delivery over entrenched political loyalty.
