A rare moment of unity unfolded in Mawogola North after the Opposition National Unity Platform party’s Iddi Semata and independent candidate Lawyer Jet Tumwebaze met unexpectedly during campaign activities and jointly called for peaceful elections across Sembabule District.
Criminal lawyer Tumwebaze is an independent from the ruling National Resistance Movement party.
The encounter occurred at a school event in Kabuga village, Nakasenyi Parish, where NUP supporters were already gathered.
What could have sparked tension instead turned celebratory, as both candidates greeted each other warmly and appealed to their supporters to refrain from violence and intimidation.
Semata and his team arrived with drums and party songs, while Tumwebaze was welcomed with NRM praise songs for President Museveni, creating a rare scene of political rivals sharing a platform peacefully.
Tumwebaze welcomed the initiative, stressing that political competition should not divide communities.
“I have no problem working with fellow contenders as long as we all choose peace over conflict,” he said.
Semata described the gesture as a sign of political maturity.
“This is what democracy should look like. We shouldn’t abuse or fight each other while asking the same people for votes,” he said.
He also criticised the NRM government for what he described as inadequate development in Sembabule despite decades in power, adding that a change in national leadership, particularly a presidency under Robert Kyagulanyi, would usher in a new era for Uganda.
Residents who attended the event welcomed the show of unity, noting that it offers hope that campaigns in the constituency could shift from confrontations to issue-based engagement.