Bulambuli Town Council will head into the upcoming elections without a single party-backed candidate for the directly elected councilor seat.
Instead, only two independents were nominated, according to Elgon Region Elections Officer Hajat Sarah Bukirwa.
Bukirwa described the development as unusual, noting that while all positions attracted contenders, the Commission recorded no political party representation for Bulambuli Town Council.
Across the wider district, however, party participation remained strong. The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), which dominated the exercise, fielded 25 candidates for directly elected councilors across 26 sub-counties.
NRM also presented candidates for all 26 women councilor and eight special interest positions, covering 100% of these roles.
Overall, Bulambuli registered 131 nominees for 61 elective positions, including the district chairperson. Party representation was heavily tilted in NRM’s favor, with the party presenting 60 candidates.
Opposition presence was limited: the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) nominated eight candidates for women and directly elected councilor positions, while the National Unity Platform (NUP) put forward only one candidate for a directly elected councilor role. Independents accounted for a significant 62 nominees across the district.
The absence of party-backed candidates in Bulambuli Town Council raises questions about the strength and reach of party structures in the area.
While NRM remains dominant across most sub-counties, its failure to field a candidate in the town council points to potential gaps in mobilization or internal disagreements.
For the opposition, the outlook is even weaker, with just nine candidates combined across the entire district.
Meanwhile, the high number of independents reflects both the resilience of grassroots actors and the continuing challenges national parties face in sustaining local networks.