Daraus Bahikire, a native of Lwengo District and a close trustee of Frank Tumwebaze, has officially declared his intention to contest for a seat in the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) under the National Resistance Movement (NRM) banner.
EALA is the regional parliament for East African Community member states.
A teacher by profession, Bahikire served as a biology and chemistry instructor at Gombe Secondary School before moving into public service as deputy RDC for Butambala District.
He later pioneered the establishment of the Government Citizen Interaction Centre (GCIC) within the Ministry of ICT & National Guidance during Tumwebaze’s tenure as Minister.
The GCIC was subsequently transferred to Statehouse.
Bahikire also worked in the Ministry of Health as a Public Health Specialist and currently serves as Executive Director of Purpose Health Care Africa, a local NGO promoting community-led health interventions for sustainable development.
He previously contested for the Bukoto Mid-West Constituency parliamentary seat in the 2021 NRM primaries but lost to Ssejoba Isaac.
He has been actively involved in presidential campaign teams in 2016, 2021, and 2026 under Tumwebaze’s stewardship.
Notably, during the 2025 campaign in Kamwenge, President Museveni secured 98% of the vote while Tumwebaze garnered 93.27%.
Known as a close confidant of Tumwebaze, Bahikire is seen as a candidate shaped and mentored by the Minister, with expectations of a strong contest at EALA.
He has outlined key priorities for his potential tenure, including enhancing youth-led trade, amplifying youth voices in regional governance, removing trade barriers, addressing interstate conflicts, improving regional security, and advancing coordinated health financing, particularly for emergencies.
