Democratic Front (DF) aspirant for Mukono Municipality Member of Parliament, Allan Mawanda, has pledged to transform the area’s political landscape, citing years of underwhelming leadership as a key motivation behind his candidacy.
Speaking during the Mukono Municipality Parliamentary debate hosted by NBS Television on Sunday, where candidates outlined their visions for the constituency ahead of the 2026 general elections, Mawanda criticized what he described as a recurring pattern of electing leaders based on excitement rather than competence—an issue he believes has slowed Mukono’s development.
“The challenge we have in our Mukono politics is that some people are voted into power out of excitement, which results in sending undeserving leaders to Parliament,” Mawanda said.
Mawanda emphasized that the municipality has endured the consequences of what he termed “poor leadership,” arguing that such trends have left the constituency lagging behind in service delivery and strategic development.
“Mukono has long suffered from poor leadership, and that is exactly what I intend to address,” he added, positioning himself as the candidate capable of steering the community toward accountability, transparency, and long-term progress.
Mawanda is set to face off with Dunstan Eddie Mbogo of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Daisy Nabatanzi Sonko of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), George Fred Kagimu of the Democratic Party (DP), Sarah Nakintu of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF).
All are seeking to retire incumbent Member of Parliament Betty Nambooze Bakireke, who is seeking yet another term in Parliament.
Nambooze, a lawmaker affectionately known as "Madam Teacher" who has undoubtedly been the people's choice for decades, is experiencing increased pressure with many wondering whether or not she will retain her parliamentary seat.
In the May 2010 by-elections, then running under the Democratic Party (DP), Nambooze secured 16,413 votes defeating NRM’s Peter Balukaba Mukasa who garnered 14,302 votes.
In 2016, Nambooze got 35,341 votes with her closest rivial Fatuma Ndisaba of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) gaining 23,129 votes.
In the last election, Nambooze won with 38,383 votes against her competitor, George Fred Kagimu of the Democratic Party (DP) who got 16,209 votes.
With just six weeks to the elections, Mukono Municipality is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched battlegrounds, with infrastructure, service delivery, and waste management emerging as top voter concerns.