Heavy security deployment cost me Kawempe North by-election victory, says NRM's Nambi
National Resistance Movement (NRM) party leader, President Museveni (R), poses for a photo with its flagbearer in the Kawempe North by-election, Faridah Nambi, during the final campaign day in Kampala on March 11, 2025. PHOTO/HANDOUT
What you need to know:
- She is hopeful that the reception Kawempe electorates accorded her presents a great opportunity for what will be a third bid in 2026.
The NRM candidate in the recently concluded Kawempe North parliamentary by-election, Ms. Faridah Nambi, has criticised the heavy-handedness of security personnel during the exercise, saying it made her lose.
“If you beat the eye and ear of the public, whose side are you on? Who are you voting for? As you have questions, I also have questions even as a candidate, and I call upon the relevant authorities to explain themselves to the public and even as NRM party,” Nambi demanded.
Ms. Nambi, a daughter of an NRA historical, Moses Kigongo, who has served as the party’s 1st national vice chairman since the bush war time, holds the view that the heavy deployment of security personnel and violence they meted out on NUP supporters and journalists made her fail.
“When security manhandles my opponents, it gives them a sympathy vote. This is the truth, so I feel defeated as an NRM candidate,” Ms. Nambi lamented.
She claimed that although Rosemary Seninde, the director for mobilisation at the NRM secretariat, asked the security forces to cease the attacks, they did not heed her plea.
The Electoral Commission declared Nalukoola the winner of the by-election with 17,764 votes against Nambi, who garnered 8,593 to become second out of the 10 candidates. The NRM leadership has said they will challenge the outcome of the polls in court.
Nambi first contested in an elective seat in 2021, where she sought to occupy the Kampala Woman Parliamentary seat, but she was trounced by NUP’s Shamim Malende.
She is hopeful that the reception Kawempe electorates accorded her presents a great opportunity for what will be a third bid in 2026 in an attempt to end the nearly 24-year-old control of the constituency by the opposition.
The Kawempe North parliamentary seat fell vacant in January following the demise of Muhammad Ssegirinya in January 2025.
