A terrible political tension is building in Rukiga district, Kigezi sub region, as the country prepares to participate in the forthcoming 2026 general election.

Last week, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni held a huge public rally at Rushebeya grounds in Rwamucuucu Sub County to mobilize locals to engage in wealth creation through farming with the support of the Parish Development Model, PDM.

According to a source, prior to the president’s rally on Friday, 14th February 2025, there were eminent clashes between the supporters of two political giants, including the incumbent Rukiga District Woman MP Caro Kamusiime (NRM) and her opponent Dr. Sylvia Alinaitwe Mwanaki, the Deputy Managing Director, National Water and Sewerage Corporation, in charge of Finance and Administration.

Dr. Alinaitwe Mwanaki who hails from Kamwezi Sub County is seeking to unseat the incumbent woman MP Kamusiime on NRM ticket.

The source revealed that Kamwezi Sub County, the home of Dr. Sylvia, used to be a leading stronghold of MP Kamusiime, where the incumbent Woman MP, Kamusiime, had been fetching huge votes.

A detailed finding on the grounds revealed that since her declaration to vie for the Rukiga district woman MP seat in 2026, Dr. Alinaitwe, a born Kanungu district woman but married in Rukiga, has been conducting several consultations, which saw her splashing a huge sum of money.

This has since been viewed as a huge threat against MP Kamusiime’s political support owing to the manner which she has recruited and deployed all the former campaign managers of the incumbent.

Another finding revealed that despite endless threats to lose her parliamentary seat, MP Kamusiime has remained steadfast and recently resorted to conducting various clandestine mobilizations to dismantle Dr. Alinaitwe’s storm.

In a quick twist to display massive support, both Dr. Sylvia and MP Kamusiime organized their supporters to camp within major trading centers few days before the rally, with full facilitation, a local source revealed.

To disapprove of her opponent, MP Kamusiime reportedly mobilized her supporters from all the sub-counties in Rukiga to participate in a procession before the rally.

The same procession was led by both the Government Chief Whip, Denis Hamson Obua, NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong and Minister Eveline Anite among other leaders.

WHY MP KAMUSIIME IS FACING SHARP 2026 POLITICAL GUILLOTINE?

Trouble for MP Caro stemmed from her political strategy of only coming back towards the election period. Most of her former campaign agents claimed she had been giving them difficulties when she disappeared and was not returning to the constituency.

Other sources revealed that MP Kamusiime’s chance to retain her seat has been further dwindled due to sectarianism due to the fact that she is a born of another district and married in another tribe unlike Dr. Sylvia who is also a born of Kanungu district but married to her tribe mate  in Rukiga.

It has also been revealed that MP Kamusiime’s opponents, whom she had previously been contesting against, have now formed an alliance to support Dr. Sylvia Alinaitwe.

Trouble for MP Kamusiime escalated further by the fact that her own in-law, Patrick Katabazi, is contesting for the Rukiga County MP seat against Ndyomugenyi Rowland (incumbent), who is her close political ally.

Katabazi, who previously supported Kamusiime, has in the recent past been mobilizing for Dr. Sylvia against the incumbent woman MP Kamusiime who is also his in-law.

MP Kamusiime’s winning chance diminished when her former chief campaign strategist, Mr. Simson Mpiriirwe, abandoned her camp and immediately joined Dr. Sylvia Alinaitwe’s team, where he is currently chief mobilization planner.

Rukiga was created in July 2027 from Kabale district, and MP Kamusiime was elected as the pioneer woman parliamentary representative.