City lawyer Luyimbazi vows to unseat Ssegirinya for Kawempe North seat

Renowned city lawyer, Elias Luyimbazi Nalukoola has expressed readiness to unseat Kawempe North MP, Muhammad Ssegirinya in the the upcoming 2026 general elections.

Luyimbazi made the revelation on Wednesday during an appearance on Sanyuka Television on Wednesday.

The former national legal advisor for the Democratic Party (DP) stated that he decided to pursue this position, currently held by Muhammad Ssegirinya, after receiving numerous requests from local constituents encouraging him to run.

"I will be contesting for the Kawempe North MP seat. The constituents have been urging me to take this step, telling me that now is the right time for me to run," Luyimbazi explained.

Although several individuals have already expressed their interest in the Kawempe North MP position, Luyimbazi vowed to deliver a political campaign that will set him apart from the competition.

"I anticipate that many will enter the race for the Kawempe North MP seat, not necessarily to win, but to gain recognition through my fame. I know that many will come from various areas to see me because I plan to put on a remarkable political display." he remarked.

Luyimbazi, a well-known human rights advocate, stepped down from his role in the party led by Norbert Mao last year.

In his resignation letter issued in October, he expressed concerns about the controversial cooperation agreement between the Democratic Party (DP) and the National Resistance Movement (NRM) as one of the reasons for his departure.

He argued that the agreement had been made without the approval or knowledge of the party's governing bodies, raising serious ethical and procedural issues.

Luyimbazi is set to compete against the current Member of Parliament, Ssegirinya, who is keen on retaining his seat for the Kawempe North Constituency.

Ssegirinya won the MP seat in 2021 representing the National Unity Platform (NUP), securing 41,197 votes against his closest rival, Sulaiman Kidandala, who received 7,512 votes.

However, Ssegirinya's term has been fraught with difficulties, including a lengthy detention in Luzira prison related to machete killings in the Masaka region.

He has also spent much of his time as an MP bedridden due to health issues.

Despite these obstacles, Ssegirinya remains determined to return and fight for his position.

"I’m returning to contest as an MP IN 2026. It wasn’t my choice but the voters requested that I return as their MP vowing that if I don’t, they are going to protest. Since I know the repercussions of protest, I’m going heed to their request,"he said last year.

Ssegirinya says he aims to keep his position in order to implement all the programs he had initiated at the beginning of his term.