The Kawempe North political landscape is heating up after Alex Lusswa Luwemba, the longtime aide of the late MP Muhammad Ssegirinya declared to stand in the forthcoming by-election on the independent ticket.
Luwemba made the announcement days after the National Unity Platform (NUP) endorsed Counsel Erias Nalukoola Luyimbaazi as the party’s flag bearer in a public screening earlier this week.
He informed the media that since his party endorsed another candidate, he has been consulting his supporters across the constituency.
He says he has been advised to contest as an independent candidate.
“I have been moving from parish to parish, consulting my supporters on my next course of action. I even requested permission from the police to use Komamboga Playground to announce my decision to the public, but they denied my request,” he said.
“The people in all nine parishes have been saying that my beloved party made a mistake by denying me the party card.”
Lusswa clarified that he has not left the party and will remain a member. However, for the good of Kawempe North, he will contest as an independent candidate to help liberate the constituency.
He vowed never to betray his people and to follow their wishes.
The endorsement of lawyer Luyimbazi as the party flagbearer has sparked discontent among some aspirants who feel sidelined, with LaLuwemba becoming the first to publicly defy the party’s directive against independent candidates.
Sources within NUP reveal that more aspirants who were eyeing the party ticket are contemplating their next move, with speculation rife that more independent candidates could emerge despite party president Robert Kyagulanyi’s warning.
The development sets the stage for a highly competitive race, as opposition strongholds like Kawempe North are often hotly contested.
Observers believe Luwemba’s entry could split the opposition vote, potentially altering the dynamics of the by-election.
As the nomination period approaches, political tensions are expected to rise, with eyes on how NUP leadership will handle internal divisions and whether other discontented aspirants will follow Luwemba’s path.
