By KT Reporter
Outgoing Nakawa East MP Nsubuga Balimwezo is becoming uncomfortable and feeling betrayed to see his NUP party top leadership hobnobbing with Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and giving him a platform all the time.
Balimwezo is fearful that Lukwago, who NUP wants him to stand against in 2026, isn’t being made to face significant hostilities at NUP functions. He would like to see his party incite its foot soldiers to fight Erias Lukwago more as opposed to rolling out for him a red carpet to majestically walk on.
“He wants to see the NUP top leadership incite foot soldiers to attack and molest Lukwago at public functions because he isn’t one of us,” says a NUP official who is close to Balimwezo too.
He was asked to leave his Nakawa seat for Waiswa Mufumbiro who has already relocated from Namungoona to Kitintale in Nakawa East as he prepares for 2026 race.
Erias Lukwago has greater name recongnition than Balimwezo whose only hope to win against him is the Kyagulanyi endorsement (though that alone may not be enough to defeat Lukwago who floored Bobi Wine-backed Nabillah Nagayi in 2021).
So, each time Lukwago comes for NUP functions, lightweights like Balimwezo easily get overshadowed as the crowd pays more attention to him being the Lord mayor who is always genuinely fighting for the poor and voiceless people in Kampala.
All this is angering Balimwezo who has refused to appreciate the need for NUP SG Rubongoya to be friendly to Lukwago and closely work with him in order to increase his chances to replace Mohammed Nsereko in Kampala central.
Lukwago has been getting a thunderous welcome each time he comes to NUP functions including last week at the Nalukoola rallies in Kawempe where Lukwago remains very popular among the urban poor partly because of the influence of former area Mayor and MP Mubarak Munyagwa, and his own predictability and political consistent.
The lord mayor had earlier on received cheerful reception at the Kavule NUP premises when he came around in his capacity as PFF president to participate in prayers Bobi Wine organized for Dr. Kizza Besigye and other political prisoners.
The same had happened earlier on when Lukwago came around to attend the Mohammed Ssegirinya tribute-paying session. All this courteous treatment of the people’s lord mayor has made Balimwezo to feel hurt and begin complaining especially against secretary general Rubongoya who keeps giving Lukwago the microphone and platform to shine as opposed to inciting NUP foot soldiers to boo him off the microphone. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
