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The Bulamogi North-West parliamentary race has turned into a contest dominated by the ruling party after the National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate, Muzamiru Nzalambi, failed to turn up for nomination day in Kaliro district.
This development left the race as a two-horse contest between veteran politician George Patrick Deeba Kasajja of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and his long-time political rival, the State Minister for Cooperatives, Fredrick Ngobi Gume, who is running as an Independent.
George Patrick Deeba Kasajja of NRM. (Courtesy)
Kasajja is a seasoned politician, best known for representing Bulamogi in the Constituent Assembly (CA) that drafted the 1995 Uganda Constitution.
Mid last year, Gume petitioned the NRM Elections Disputes Tribunal, citing what he described as irregularities during the party primaries. However, the tribunal upheld Kasajja’s victory and declared him the NRM flag bearer on July 17, 2025.
Tribunal findings showed that even after a recount, Gume’s vote tally only rose from 12,886 to 13,296 votes. Kasajja’s total, on the other hand, dropped from 18,407 to 15,157 votes, but the margin was still not sufficient to warrant nullification of the results.
The rivalry between Gume and Kasajja dates back to 2016, with the two repeatedly battling for the same legislative seat. Their contests have often ended in losses and subsequent High Court legal battles.
Gume, the incumbent, has pledged to consolidate what he says he has already achieved to ensure sustainable development in the constituency.
“My people can testify that I have lobbied for the expansion of health centres, provision of essential drugs and construction of schools. The social welfare of the constituents has been my main concern,” he said.
However, Cissy Namulondo, a resident, urged Gume to step down in favour of Kasajja for the sake of peaceful co-existence and reconciliation.
“Our party constitution is clear on what losers in the primaries should do. Why not rally support for the flag bearer and have him declared unopposed even before polling day?” Namulondo asked.
In response, Gume insisted that he still has ongoing plans for the area and needs another term to complete them before exiting Parliament.
“Many things went wrong during the primaries, which divided my people. I need to stay to unite them, boost household incomes through skills training, and then leave when my people have smiles on their faces,” he said.
Gume added that he has lobbied for government funds to strengthen local savings groups and cooperatives, noting that these interventions have significantly improved household incomes.
Kasajja, on his part, called on the people of Bulamogi to entrust him with their votes so that he can address the area’s poor education and health standards.
“Our patients are forced to travel several miles to hospitals elsewhere because we only have a Health Centre IV as the main facility. My priority will be to lobby for a fully equipped hospital to serve our people,” he said.
He added that his team has already embarked on skilling youths in carpentry, brick-laying and craft work to create income opportunities.
“The majority of the unemployed are youths. When night falls, some resort to crime, which fuels insecurity in our locality,” Kasajja said.