MITOOMA
Rtd. Capt. Dononzio Kahonda Mugabe, the defeated National Resistance Movement (NRM) primary candidate for Ruhinda South Constituency and now an independent seeking a third term, has urged voters not to feel obliged to elect party flag bearers. He argued that President Yoweri Museveni prioritizes performance and development over strict party allegiance.
Kahonda, the incumbent Ruhinda South MP, is facing stiff competition from Hon. Arthur Kazoora who overwhelmingly beat him in the August NRM primaries, and Rtd. Capt. Bernard Kamukama.
Speaking during the celebration of Christ the King Sunday at Nyakishojwa Parish in Rurehe Sub-county, Mitooma District, Kahonda appealed to Christians to vote for him because he has “stood with them” for years, warning them not to be swayed by candidates simply carrying the party flag.
“If President Museveni, the NRM national chairman, can pick and appoint Maj. Gen. Jessica Alupo, who was an independent, as vice president, who are you—the local council chairman or MP aspirant—to insist that being a flag bearer is everything?” Kahonda said. He argued that the President is guided by performance, not party symbols.
However, Kahonda’s statement contradicts President Museveni’s long-standing public position. The President has repeatedly warned NRM members who lose primaries against contesting as independents, calling it “political indiscipline” that splits the party vote and risks handing seats to the opposition—an outcome he has described as “criminal and politically bankrupt.”
Museveni maintains that legislators who are not NRM members struggle to deliver services to their constituencies, arguing that real development is achieved only when the area MP has a seat at the “NRM table” where national resource allocation decisions are made.
Similarly, the Mitooma District Woman MP, Hon. Juliet Agasha Bashiisha, who also lost the primaries and is running as an independent, urged voters to return her to Parliament in the 2026 general elections. She rallied voters to attend to President Museveni’s rally in Mitooma at Ryakahimbi Playground on December 2.
The campaigns for Ruhinda South MP and the District Woman MP seat have been marred by accusations of religious influence, particularly within the Catholic Church in Ruhinda South. Some church leaders are accused of openly campaigning for Catholic candidates who have supported church projects.
Reports suggest that individuals employed in church-founded institutions such as schools and financial entities are being instructed to mobilize support for specific Catholic candidates.
A Catholic believer who spoke to Parrots Media on condition of anonymity claimed that leaders at Nyakishojwa Parish are monitoring social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp, allegedly threatening to dismiss anyone found mobilizing for rival candidates.
These developments come shortly after the launch of the district NRM task force, established to strengthen mobilisation for President Museveni and NRM flag bearers ahead of the 2026 elections.
Speaking at the launch, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa Bangirana urged voters to turn up early on polling day and to avoid supporting independents.
“In the primaries, I campaigned here and promised to stand with whoever was elected as the flag bearer. Now allow me to introduce to you the candidate you should vote on January 15 as your Woman MP,” Tayebwa said as he raised the hand of Hon. Rebecca Kyarampe, the NRM flag bearer. He emphasized that he respects the voice and choice of Mitooma voters.
Tayebwa urged NRM leaders in the district to intensify mobilisation and consolidate support for party candidates ahead of President Museveni’s campaign trail, in a bid to counter the growing influence of independents.
