After failing to secure a single constituency seat in Luweero District in the just concluded election, the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has shifted its focus to the upcoming subcounty and town council elections scheduled for Wednesday, February 4.
Led by party spokesperson Rogers Mulindwa, a native of the area, the NRM is targeting all 18 subcounties and town councils in the district, arguing that grassroots leadership is key to improving service delivery and addressing long-standing community challenges.
“Subcounties should be in the hands of NRM because leaders at this level live within the communities. They can easily identify people’s problems and work with relevant stakeholders to find solutions,” Mulindwa said.
The renewed focus follows a strong showing by the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) in the recent parliamentary and district local government elections. All constituency seats in Luweero were retained by NUP incumbents, including Robert Sekitoleko (Bamunanika), Denis Sekabira (Katikamu North), Hassan Kirumira (Katikamu South), and Woman MP Brenda Nabukenya.
At the district level, LC5 chairperson Erasto Kibirango secured a second term, while NUP also won more than 16 of the 30 directly elected district councillor seats, consolidating its dominance in key leadership positions.
Mulindwa expressed optimism that voters who previously backed the opposition in anticipation of a change in national leadership would now reconsider their choices.
“Now that they have confirmed that Kyagulanyi is not the incoming President of Uganda, what they need is to send capable NRM leaders to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni so that he can address the challenges facing this area,” he said.
He urged voters to avoid emotional voting based solely on party symbols and instead elect leaders committed to effective service delivery.
Residents in parts of Luweero have raised concerns over poor road infrastructure, rising teenage pregnancies, limited electricity connectivity and high youth unemployment.
Rehema Kiwalabye, the female district councillor-elect for Butuntumula Subcounty, said social challenges affecting young people require urgent intervention.
“It pains me that many girls in Butuntumula are getting pregnant at a young age and lack support. We need to address this problem, offer guidance and also tackle youth unemployment,” Kiwalabye said.
NRM’s electoral struggles in Luweero have persisted over successive elections. In the 2026 presidential race, National Unity Platform leader Robert Kyagulanyi led in the district with 78,939 votes (60.2 per cent), compared to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s 48,452 votes (36.8 per cent).
As campaigns intensify ahead of the February 4 polls, both parties view the grassroots elections as a critical battleground for influence and future political positioning in the district.