Kassanda, Uganda – August 9, 2025, 1:51 PM EAT: In Kassanda South, a constituency long beset by fractious politics, youth leader Hajj Abdul Bisaso’s commanding victory in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) parliamentary primary on July 17, 2025, is imperiled by controversial businessman Eria Mubiru Kabenge and his Kampala allies. Bisaso, who won 10,226 votes (41.3%), defeated Mubiru (9,860 votes), Simeo Nsubuga Muwanga (3,172 votes), Michael Muhumuza (910 votes), and Godfrey Katumba (610 votes), rallying NRM supporters with his deep-rooted, grassroots appeal. However, Mubiru’s alleged abuse of power—leveraging wealth, security connections, and purported ties to State House to influence the NRM Secretariat and tribunal—has sparked outrage among Bisaso’s supporters and the Kassanda NRM fraternity, who see him as an outsider planted to undermine their democratic will. This turmoil risks fracturing the party and bolstering the National Unity Platform (NUP), led by incumbent MP Frank Kabuye, in the 2026 general election.
Kassanda South’s political landscape has been volatile since 2016, when Simeo Nsubuga ousted NRM incumbent Nyombi Thembo in a contentious primary. In 2021, a disputed NRM primary prompted Nsubuga to run as an independent, splitting the party’s vote. NUP’s Frank Kabuye, a university student, seized the opportunity, winning the parliamentary seat with 12,000 votes against Nsubuga and NRM’s Muhumuza, who each garnered 8,000 votes. Kabuye’s victory highlighted NUP’s growing influence in central Uganda, fueled by voter discontent with NRM’s internal divisions.
Bisaso’s 2025 primary win has sparked hope among NRM supporters, who view him as a unifying “son of the soil” poised to strengthen the party’s base and support President Yoweri Museveni’s 2026 re-election bid. A lifelong Kassanda resident, Bisaso has risen through the ranks as a youth leader in the NRM and local youth councils, earning trust through his education and community work. “Bisaso has risen from the grassroots… he is schooled and has worked in Kassanda all his life,” said John Muleke, a resident of Myanzi. “We don’t see why the party bosses are punishing our own.” In contrast, Mubiru, a Kampala-based contractor with alleged Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) and Police ties, is seen as an outsider who has not lived in Kassanda for a decade. “He has not even lived in Kassanda for 10 years and wants to lead us!” Muleke exclaimed, noting Mubiru’s claims of “godfathers” in State House as evidence of his imposed candidacy.
Mubiru’s tactics—campaigning with armed soldiers, paving village roads on election day, distributing cash and beef to buy votes, and orchestrating the arrest of the district’s electoral registrar—have drawn fierce condemnation for flouting NRM rules and harassing locals. His allies, boasting of “friends” within the NRM Secretariat and tribunal, claim he will secure the party flag despite his defeat. This alleged influence fuels fears that the tribunal, which insists its rulings are final, may overturn Bisaso’s victory, alienating voters and echoing the NRM’s 2021 missteps. Mubiru’s land disputes in Nalutuntu Sub-County, where he faces accusations of grabbing land, further cement his image as an outsider exploiting power for personal ambition.
The NRM risks repeating 2021, when internal strife enabled NUP’s Kabuye to capture the constituency. Bisaso’s supporters warn that Mubiru’s “fickle” support, built on transactional tactics, is vulnerable. The NUP, adept at exploiting NRM discord, could leverage Mubiru’s controversies—intimidation, voter inducement, and alleged State House-backed manipulation—to sway disillusioned voters. With NRM activities in Kassanda South stalled and local officials targeted by Mubiru’s security allies, the tribunal’s delayed verdict heightens tensions.
Affirming Bisaso’s win would bolster NRM unity, enabling the party to rally behind a trusted leader and counter NUP’s momentum. Awarding the flag to Mubiru could deepen divisions, handing Kabuye and the NUP a narrative to erode NRM’s hold on Kassanda South. As the tribunal and NRM Secretariat deliberate, their decision will determine whether the NRM can overcome its history of self-inflicted wounds or lose ground to the opposition in this critical battleground.
