A retired three-star general has decided he still has enough ammo to fire and his target is the Lwemiyaga County parliamentary seat held for decades by Theodore Ssekikubo.
Brigadier-General Emmanuel Rwashande, who retired the army in April 2024, has announced his candidacy for the Lwemiyaga parliamentary seat, vowing to end what he calls 25 years of unfulfilled promises under the leadership of Ssekikubo.
Rwashande, made his declaration at his home in Ntuusi, Sembabule District, where he rallied residents to support his bid to bring change to a constituency he says has been neglected for too long.
“Lwemiyaga has remained underdeveloped, with residents still sharing water sources with animals," he said.
"Lwemiyaga residents have been getting sleepless nights due to land grabbers who were backed by Ssekikubo but all those are going to end when they vote me as their Member of Parliament in the next election because there is no strong leadership voice advocating for the people, only endless political conflicts."
Rwashande has vowed to unify opposition candidates in Lwemiyaga, urging those with similar ambitions to step aside and support his bid to unseat Ssekikubo.
He also warned against electoral malpractice, stating that this time, there will be no room for vote rigging.
"I want to assure the people of Lwemiyaga that that habit of rigging votes is not going to be seen in the coming elections whether primaries or general elections and they have to be sure that even conflict and bullets and teargas they have been smoking in previous elections is not going to be in Lwemiyaga this coming elections," said the political upstart whose posters are bearing both the symbols of National Resistance Movement and Patriotic League of Uganda.
His campaign has gained momentum, with another retired army officer, Fenekansi Katrima, and President Museveni's young brother Toyota Nuwagira joining his mobilisation barrel.
MP Ssekikubo, who has represented Lwemiyaga for 24 years now, has previously challenged his opponents to defeat him at the ballot box.
“If they believe they can come under my foot, let them come and contest and I show them who is a man," Ssekikubo told NBS last year.
As the 2026 general elections draw closer, the battle for Lwemiyaga is shaping up to be one of the most heated contests in Sembabule District.