The race to succeed late Kalangala District Woman MP Hellen Nakimuli is rapidly evolving into one of Uganda’s earliest and most emotionally charged political contests of the new parliamentary term after the Electoral Commission of Uganda officially released the roadmap for the by-election.

The Electoral Commission has fixed June 24, 2026 as polling day for the Kalangala Woman MP by-election following Nakimuli’s death on April 19, barely months after she had been re-elected on the National Unity Platform ticket.

Justice Simon Byabakama, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, said the by-election is being conducted in accordance with constitutional requirements that mandate a fresh election within 60 days after a parliamentary seat falls vacant.

But beyond the electoral roadmap, political attention is now shifting toward the growing list of contenders and the emotional battle over who inherits what supporters increasingly describe as “Maama Kalangala’s political legacy.”

At the centre of that discussion is Irene Nampala, sister to the late Nakimuli, who has emerged as one of the leading figures in the race after receiving public backing from sections of the family and NUP supporters.

Social media platforms linked to opposition supporters have in recent days been dominated by messages rallying support behind her candidacy.

“The family of the late Kalangala District Woman MP, Hellen Nakimuli, has officially endorsed her sister, Irene Nampala, to contest in the upcoming by-election,” several accounts including X users @UncleBillz and @Pawulo_ posted earlier this week.

Under videos circulating online showing Nampala submitting nomination papers, supporters openly framed her candidacy as a continuation of her sister’s unfinished political mission.

“Comrade Nampala tukwagaliza card mukama akikolere,” one supporter commented in Luganda, loosely translated as: “We are praying for you Comrade Nampala, may God help you.”

The emotional momentum surrounding the race has also elevated Jesca Nassiwa, a former aide to the late Nakimuli, whose decision to seek the NUP ticket has attracted support among sections of the party grassroots.

Several supporters online described Nassiwa as someone capable of ensuring “continuity of Maama Kalangala’s work,” reflecting the wider sentiment dominating the early stages of the campaign.

Across pro-NUP spaces, one message has remained consistent the determination to “keep the seat red,” a reference to the party’s signature colour and its growing political influence within the Ssese Islands.

The opposition party is expected to face stiff competition from the ruling National Resistance Movement which has retained Aidah Nabayiga, the same candidate who stood against Nakimuli during the January 2026 general elections.

Political observers believe the by-election could become an early political test of strength between NUP and NRM following the national elections and swearing-in of the 12th Parliament.

The Electoral Commission roadmap indicates that display of the voter register will run from May 20 to May 29, while nominations are scheduled for June 10th and 11th . Campaigns will officially take place between June 8 and June 22 ahead of polling day on June 24.

For now, however, the Kalangala race appears to be driven as much by emotion as by party structures.

And as sympathy, loyalty, and political strategy collide on the islands, the bigger question quietly emerging is whether voters will choose continuity, party loyalty, or an entirely new political direction for Kalangala.