NUP’s Nalukoola finally swears in as Kawempe North MP

Kampala, (UG):– Hon. Erias Luyimbazi Nalukoola, the newly elected Member of Parliament for Kawempe North, was on Wednesday officially sworn at a function presided over by the Clerk to Parliament and the Speaker Rt Hon Anita Among in attendance.

His swearing-in follows his victory in the recent Kawempe North by-election and now fully replaces the late Hon. Muhammad Ssegirinya, who passed away in January 2025.

Hon. Nalukoola, a member of the Opposition National Unity Platform (NUP), took the oath of allegiance and the oath of a Member of Parliament, pledging to uphold the Constitution of Uganda and serve his constituents faithfully.

In his remarks after the swearing-in, Hon. Nalukoola expressed deep gratitude to Speaker Among for swiftly facilitating his inauguration, allowing him to assume his duties without delay. “I thank the Speaker for expediting my swearing-in and for upholding the principle that the people of Kawempe North must not be left without representation for any longer,” he said.

“Today is not just about me. It is about the people whose voice I now carry into this chamber,” Nalukoola added, pledging to serve with integrity and diligence whilst vigorously advocating for the needs of his constituents.

“Kawempe North faces many challenges—poor service delivery, unemployment, insecurity, and health system gaps,” he said. “My role is to ensure that these issues are brought to the national agenda and addressed with urgency.”

Speaker Among explained that the decision to conduct the swearing-in ceremony in her chambers was made to ensure that the people of Kawempe North were not left without representation in Parliament.

“We would not want to deprive the good people of Kawempe [North] of their right to representation, which is why we are swearing him in my chambers. We swear you in because the law compels us,” she stated.

Among also cited previous events where similar ceremonies had been conducted for Hon. Robert Kasule in 2017 and Hon. Faith Alupo in 2018.

She emphasized that Nalukoola is now a fully recognized member of the 11th Parliament, entitled to all the privileges of an MP, including a parliamentary vehicle.

The Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, who attended the ceremony, expressed reservations about the process, stating that a formal swearing-in in the House would have been preferable. However, he acknowledged the necessity of proceeding with the ceremony under the given circumstances.