After five days of intensive campaigning, opposition leader in Parliament Joel Ssenyonyi and NUP’s Buganda regional head Muwanga Kivumbi visited Masaka on Wednesday to rally support for Patrick Kuteesa, the NUP candidate seeking to unseat Democratic Front’s Dr. Abed Bwanika in the Kimaanya–Kabonera constituency.
NUP leaders in Masaka City have thrown their weight behind Kuteesa, who launched his campaign in Kyabakuza, promising to reclaim the constituency for the party. Party officials emphasized that every NUP flagbearer must work tirelessly to secure dominance in the region.
Masaka City Mayor Florence Namayanja revealed that her office has begun investigating how Dr. Bwanika, who chairs the city’s Roads Committee, has been spending public funds.
“We have observed inconsistencies and questionable expenditure of taxpayers’ money. We cannot just look on as resources are mismanaged,” Namayanja said.
Kuteesa, referring to himself as “the liberator,” said he joined the race because he is disturbed by persistent challenges facing residents, particularly the lack of clean water.
“It pains me to see that many people in Masaka still lack access to safe drinking water. This has gone on for too long, and I cannot sit back and watch,” he said.
Addressing supporters in Masaka, Ssenyonyi countered critics who accused some opposition members of undermining the struggle for change.
“I hear people saying we should stay silent when certain individuals sabotage the opposition. We shall not keep quiet—wrong is wrong, no matter who commits it,” he said, widely interpreted as a response to recent comments by Mathias Mpuuga following his rally in Nyendo.
Ssenyonyi also urged residents to choose their leaders carefully in the current political climate.
“Many of our people—like Eddie Mutwe, Grace Wakabi, Achileo Kivumbi and others—are still in prison. These are lessons we must reflect on as we decide who leads us,” he said.
Muwanga Kivumbi, NUP’s Buganda chairperson, called for resilience among Ugandans seeking political change.
“This country is entering a very delicate moment. Those who desire real change must remain firm and fearless. Courage is not optional—it is necessary,” Kivumbi said.
NUP is intensifying efforts in Masaka as internal competition and constituency realignments shape the political landscape ahead of the 2026 elections.