The race for the Makindye East Parliamentary seat in the 2026 general elections is shaping up to be one of Kampala’s most hotly contested contests, with Independent candidate Tenywa Constantine Padda emerging as a strong voice for reform, accountability, and people-centered development.
Speaking during the Makindye East Parliamentary Debate hosted by NBS Television on Wednesday, Padda vowed to end the persistent administrative confusion and political stagnation that have long plagued the constituency.
“It’s only in Makindye East where you see one village with two chairmen. As MP, I won’t let this happen. I’ve lived here for 30 years. I know what our people need,” said Padda.
He outlined a pro-people manifesto focused on tackling unemployment, poverty, and education challenges — issues he says have kept the constituency from realizing its full potential.
Among his proposals is an education restructuring plan to shift from termly to semester-based learning for primary and secondary schools — a system he argues will ease financial strain on parents and improve academic focus.
“Learners are overburdened by school fees. In universities, students pay on a semester basis, and that model should be replicated at lower levels. It will also curb exploitation by schools that continuously hike fees,” he said.
On joblessness, Padda was blunt, calling unemployment “intentional” — a result of policies that privatized government assets and sidelined the youth.
“Unemployment has become intentional due to the privatization of government assets. We must return to empowering our people through skills development, cooperative initiatives, and locally driven opportunities,” he said.
Makindye East has earned a reputation as Uganda’s “revolving-door constituency,” with no MP — save for Michael Mabikke — serving beyond a single term since 1996.
The trend began with Benedict Mutyaba, who took office in the late 1990s but fell out with voters over allegations of poor performance. In 2001, Michael Mabikke, then a youthful Democratic Party (DP) leader, rode a wave of youth activism to victory. His career, however, stumbled after an unsuccessful 2011 bid for Lord Mayor.
That same year, John Ssimbwa of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) capitalized on opposition divisions to win the seat, only to be unseated five years later amid a surge of urban anti-government sentiment.
In 2016, Ibrahim Kasozi of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) took over with promises of grassroots transformation but was ousted in 2021 by Derrick Nyeko of the National Unity Platform (NUP), riding the momentum of the “umbrella wave” that swept across Kampala. Nyeko, the outgoing MP, joins the long list of one-term legislators from the constituency.
Padda is set to face Ali Mulanyama of NUP, Judith Nuwabeine Abaho of NRM, Lubega Francis of FDC, Michael Mabikke of the Democratic Front (DF), and other independents including Elijah Owobusingye, Robert Ssekidde, and Baker Kisarita.
With just months to go before the elections, Makindye East is poised to be one of the most closely watched parliamentary races of 2026.