By KT Reporter
Leaders of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) in the Kigezi sub-region say they remain unfazed by opposition calls to de-campaign the ruling party over the imprisonment of retired Colonel Dr. Kizza Besigye, Sam Mugumya, and other political detainees ahead of the general elections.
In early December 2025, while launching grassroots mobilization in Kigezi, leaders of the opposition People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), led by party president and Kampala Lord Mayor Elias Lukwago, together with party spokesperson Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, urged voters to vote out all NRM leaders, particularly in Rukungiri District. They described the move as punishment and revenge for the continued detention of Dr. Besigye.
Lukwago accused some NRM leaders from the region, including Major General Jim Muhwezi Katugugu, the Minister for Security and parliamentary aspirant for Rujumbura County, and Lieutenant General Henry Tumukunde, a former Progressive Alliance Party (PAP) presidential candidate now contesting for Rukungiri Municipality on the NRM ticket, of failing to deliver meaningful development.
He argued that the leaders lack the courage to demand Besigye’s release, alleging that President Museveni uses them merely as political tools.
During a separate campaign tour in Kigezi in November 2025, National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, pledged to release Dr. Kizza Besigye, Obeid Lutaale, and other political prisoners if elected president.
Dr. Nicholas Thaddeus Kamara, a People’s Front for Freedom parliamentary candidate for Kabale Municipality, says Besigye’s detention and the alleged abduction of Sam Mugumya have angered many residents, increasing the chances of an opposition victory in the region.
However, Major General Jim Muhwezi Katugugu, who also serves as Rukungiri District LC5 Chairperson, dismisses the opposition’s claims, saying he is not worried by the de-campaign. He argues that the opposition in the area is fragmented following the split between PFF and the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), noting that PFF lacks a presidential candidate.
Muhwezi says that the NRM has regained strong support in the district, with hundreds of former opposition supporters defecting to the ruling party. He adds that voters now appreciate the NRM’s development achievements and will overwhelmingly vote for the party.
Lieutenant General Henry Tumukunde also dismisses the opposition’s messaging, describing opposition politicians as inconsistent and untrustworthy. He says the opposition lacks a solid foundation to persuade voters against NRM leaders.
NRM Deputy National Treasurer and head of party mobilization in Kigezi, Jacqueline Kyatuheire, criticizes the opposition for using a matter currently before the court as a campaign tool. She describes calls to vote against President Museveni and other NRM leaders over Besigye’s detention as hate speech, which she said the ruling party does not condone. Kyatuheire urged the public to disregard the opposition’s message.
Some residents express mixed views. Caleb Asiimwe, a voter from Kibimbiri Parish in Matanda Sub-county, Kanungu District, says the opposition’s campaign is misleading, noting that Besigye was not arrested in Uganda and that voters lack verified information about the circumstances surrounding his detention. He said he and others will vote for President Museveni and NRM candidates.
Another voter, Fabiano Irimaso Suubi from Rwenyerere Village in Bihomborwa Ward, Kihihi Town Council, Kanungu District, says the opposition’s concerns are understandable, arguing that Besigye appears to be politically suffocated. However, Irimaso adds that despite this, voters are likely to support NRM candidates due to the party’s role in transforming the country.
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