Voting out candidates of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) in the forthcoming elections, as occurred in 2021, will further block development in Luwero District, Rashidah Birungi, the NRM flagbearer for the Luwero District LC V chairpersonship, has warned the electorate.
In the 2021 Luwero District LC V election, Erastus Kibirango of the National Unity Platform (NUP) won the seat by defeating several candidates. The Electoral Commission declared that Kibirango received 44,206 votes, accounting for 59.20% of the total.
Uthman Kamoga Jjuuko of the NRM came second with 17,094 votes (22.89%). Independent candidates Vincent Kalumba Ssebayiga, Daniel Serubidde Semakula, and Dithan Mayanja Kikabi received 6,696 votes (8.97%), 3,800 votes (5.09%), and 2,006 votes (2.69%), respectively.
Rashidah Birungi, then representing the Alliance for National Transformation, garnered 869 votes, equivalent to 1.16% of the total. Similarly, in the 2021 Parliamentary elections, all four Luwero District seats were won by NUP candidates. Brenda Nabukenya was elected District Woman Member of Parliament with 76,801 votes, Hassan Kirumira won Katikamu South County, Denis Sekabira secured Katikamu North with 18,716 votes, and Robert Ssekitoleeko took Bamunanika County with 27,850 votes.
During the same elections, presidential results in Luwero showed Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu of NUP winning with 103,782 votes (70.45%), while the incumbent President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of NRM came second with 41,166 votes (27.94%).
Currently, Birungi is contesting the LC V seat against four other candidates: incumbent Erastus Kibirango (NUP), Lawrence Ssebuufu (FDC), and independent candidates Ramathan Abdullahi and Vincent Ssebayiga.
Between 2021 and 2026, residents and leaders in Luwero have consistently raised concerns that while development allocations existed on paper, the tangible impact on infrastructure and public services has been limited. Complaints include persistent potholes and impassable rural roads, interrupted electricity and water supply, inadequate school and health infrastructure, and high unemployment.
These issues have shaped public discourse on leadership performance, with many voters urging future representatives to address these gaps more effectively. As President Museveni seeks a seventh term, he and senior NRM leaders officially launched their presidential campaign in Luwero District on September 30, 2025, at Bukalasa Agricultural College playground in Wobulenzi Town Council.
Thousands of supporters attended the event, which ran under the theme “Protecting the Gains.” At the rally, Museveni, accompanied by First Lady Janet Kataaha Museveni and other party leaders, appealed for support from Luwero residents, framing a vote for the NRM as a vote for continuity and preservation of past achievements.
Strategically, Luwero was chosen for the launch due to its historical role as an NRM stronghold during the bush war, although the district turned against the party in the 2021 elections. NRM campaign efforts in Luwero have intensified in recent months, aiming to reclaim seats lost in 2021 through increased mobilisation and public engagements.
Birungi observes that the 2021 general elections were not favourable for NRM in Luwero, with several key elective positions won by the opposition. She argues that this, in one way or another, has impeded development over the five years.
According to her, had Luwero determined the presidential outcome, the opposition would have won, given that Museveni secured only that percentage of the district’s votes.
Birungi made the analysis while addressing a group of youths at Wobulenzi Public School in Wobulenzi Town Council. The meeting, organised by Luwero NRM leaders, aimed to guide youth from all 18 sub-counties on how to exercise their electoral rights effectively.
The youth group at Wobulenzi Public School was led by Karim Mwejuri, who told Uganda Radio Network (URN) that the gathering sought to prepare the youth in character before, during, and after the polls.
Security agencies, including representatives from the Uganda People’s Defense Forces, were also invited to the meeting. Addressing the gathering, Rt. Maj. Gen. Hudson Mukasa, a former Military Attaché to Kenya, urged youth to be cautious of deceitful political actors.
Mukasa advised the youth to scrutinize prospective leaders carefully and to avoid being incited to violence. He further assured that security agencies are prepared to safeguard citizens against any insecurity during the elections.
