Kaliro, Uganda: The Minister of State for Cooperatives, Hon. Fredrick Ngobi Gume, has declared he will contest as an independent candidate to reclaim his Bulamogi Northwest parliamentary seat in 2026 after losing the recent NRM party primaries.
Gume, who has represented the constituency for over a decade, cited electoral malpractice and result manipulation as the reason behind his decision to run outside the ruling party framework. He accused some party officials of disenfranchising voters and inflating results in favor of his rival, George Patrick Kasajja, who was declared NRM flagbearer.
“Villages didn’t vote but they falsely claimed they did. People were denied their democratic rights and someone who got 20 votes was instead given 420. You know very well I am the people’s choice and I can never let them down,” Gume told supporters.
On Saturday, September 20, the minister was welcomed with pomp in a heroic procession as thousands of supporters clad in yellow T-shirts with President Museveni’s portrait escorted him from Lumbuye swamp to Nawaikoke Sub County headquarters, a trek of about 10 kilometers.
At the rally, Gume reaffirmed his support for President Museveni’s re-election bid while asking voters to back him as their MP so he can continue lobbying for services.
“We started as a new constituency under my leadership and I have been here for 10 years. There is no need to recycle leadership at a time when we need schools, health centers, and roads. I must use this ministerial position to deliver more, and I urge you to vote for President Museveni as well,” he said.
Among his pledges, Gume promised to extend electricity to more villages, push for the tarmacking of the long-overdue Kaliro–Nawaikoke road, and lobby for every sub-county in Bulamogi Northwest to have a seed school. He also vowed to follow up on the community’s demand to upgrade Nawaikoke Health Centre III to Health Centre IV.
In a gesture of unity after the divisive primaries, Gume promised to provide a bull and 500 kilograms of rice to supporters in each sub-county for reconciliation parties. “This is a revolution, and people can never accept to be cheated. I am here to renew their mandate because the power of the people cannot be denied,” he said.
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