Elias Luyimbazi Nalukoola of the National Unity Platform (NUP) emerged victorious in the fiercely contested Kawempe North parliamentary by-election held on Thursday, March 13, 2025.
The by-election, prompted by the death of former MP Mohammad Ssegirinya on January 9, 2025, saw Nalukoola secure the seat.
The Electoral Commission (EC) oversaw the polling process across 97 stations in Kawempe North, with voting concluding at 4:00 PM.
Preliminary results trickling in throughout the day showed Nalukoola taking a commanding lead, a trend confirmed as counting progressed into the evening.
The by-election pitted 10 candidates against one another, with the main competition unfolding between Nalukoola (NUP) with 17,764 votes and Faridah Nambi of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) with 8,593 votes, Moses Nsereko (Independent) with 32 votes, and Sadat Mukiibi, aka Khalifa Aganaga (FDC): 239 votes.
Additionally, the votes of other candidates who included Henry Kasacca Mubiru (DP), Ismail Musiitwa (PPP), Hanifah Karadi (Independent), Muhamood Mutazindwa (Independent), Muhammed Lusswa Luwemba (Independent), and Henry Stanley Maitum (Independent) were not yet detailed.
The Kawempe North seat has been a battleground for Uganda’s political heavyweights. In the 2021 general election, Ssegirinya won convincingly with 41,197 votes, dwarfing his NRM rival’s 6,946.
The EC had implemented measures to ensure a credible process, including accrediting observers and training polling agents.
Justice Simon Byabakama, EC Chairperson, had earlier appealed for a peaceful election, urging candidates to avoid inflammatory tactics.
While the day saw sporadic incidents, voting largely proceeded smoothly, with stakeholders praising the turnout as a testament to Kawempe North’s engaged electorate.
