Namutumba, Uganda: Paul Bajje Baite, son of veteran Busoga political kingpin Baite Munobwa, has officially joined the race to carry the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag for Bukono County in the 2026 elections.
Baite, a seasoned golfer and professional surveyor Paul Bajje Baite was nominated on Tuesday, July 24, is now set to face off with incumbent State Minister for Lands Hon. Persis Namuganza, alongside other contenders including Hajji Siraj Kirya Gusongoire and Emmanuel Maganda Katoko, in the party’s primaries set for July 16, 2025.
Speaking after his nomination, he pledged to deliver accountable, grassroots-centered leadership. “There is a need to address the gap between the current representative and the residents, who have become political orphans and have been reduced to recipients of stipends for survival. Most of the constituents’ needs have been ignored. That has to change,” Baite told cheering supporters in Ruharo.
A graduate of Aberdeen University in Scotland, Baite hails from Ivukula Town Council and is running on a bold, pro-people, development-focused agenda.
At the heart of his campaign manifesto is a pledge to eradicate household poverty, which he estimates affects over 50% of Bukono’s population. He vowed to extend clean piped water, having already successfully lobbied for water access programs in select sub-counties, and to revamp education by forging global partnerships aimed at improving the academic standards of Bukono’s underperforming schools.
Baite also threw his weight behind President Museveni’s Parish Development Model (PDM), pledging to fight its politicisation and expand access beyond just loyalists of the incumbent. “PDM is a powerful poverty eradication tool, but it must be accessed by all, regardless of political affiliation,” he said.
During his January 2025 visit to Kalamira in Namutumba District, President Museveni underscored the importance of the PDM, noting that it had already begun transforming lives in Busoga. “The president wants each household to chase away poverty through PDM. Beneficiaries should choose ventures with high returns,” Museveni said.
Baite’s emergence in the Bukono race has ignited optimism across the constituency, particularly among youth and disillusioned voters tired of political posturing and tokenism. His family legacy, backed by his father’s longstanding influence in Busoga kingdom and political affairs, has boosted his profile ahead of what is expected to be a fiercely contested primary.
Bukono Constituency comprises three town councils: Nangonde, Ivukula, and Kibale, and four sub-counties: Nangonde, Ivukula, Kibale, and Nabweyo.
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