Kyotera, Uganda: The State Minister for Microfinance and NRM Vice Chairperson for Buganda, Hon. Kyeyune Haruna Kasolo, has declared a political war on the opposition in his constituency and Buganda at large, starting with the spirited move to reclaim the Kyotera County parliamentary seat in the forthcoming 2026 general elections.
Addressing a mammoth crowd of supporters that filled Kasambya Grounds for his mega nomination rally, Hon Kasolo said the time had come to “liberate Kyotera from the chains of opposition confusion and empty promises.”
The Minister, who served as MP for two consecutive terms (2011–2021), was speaking at a rally organized to celebrate his successful nomination on Wednesday, October 22, as the NRM flag bearer for Kyotera County.
The rally, marked by an overwhelming sea of yellow stretching across Kyotera town, turned into a political statement of strength for Kasolo, who arrived in grand style atop a convoy led by popular musician Alien Skin of Fangone Forest, as chants of “Kasolo, our hope!” echoed across the grounds.
In his fiery speech, Kasolo accused the opposition of “sleeping on the job,” saying that since 2021, Kyoyera has, under the reign of John Paul Lukwago Mpalanyi of Democratic Party, suffered from total neglect, uncollected garbage, and collapsed community projects.
He listed incomplete water projects, idle electricity poles, and abandoned skilling programs as examples of what he termed “the cost of misdirected politics.” “When I left the seat for him, I left Kyotera moving forward, but today, it is the opposite. Therefore, I am coming back not to start afresh, but to complete the mission we began for our people,” Kasolo said, drawing thunderous cheers from the crowd.
The Minister revealed that he has already initiated local interventions, including mobilizing a truck to address the district’s worsening waste crisis, while pledging to revive stalled coffee and SACCO initiatives as avenues to complement government wealth creation programmes such as PDM, Emyooga, among others.
He also promised to distribute coffee seedlings to all homesteads and support nursery bed operators to boost household incomes.
Kasolo, who doubles as the NRM District Chairperson for Kyotera and the Vice Chairperson for Buganda Region, emphasized that the upcoming elections will be a referendum on performance, not populism. He urged residents to stand firm behind the ruling party and resist what he called “the destructive politics of hooliganism,” accusing his rivals’ supporters of attempting to block his procession earlier in the day.
“We shall not be intimidated. We are peaceful people, but we are also determined. Kyotera must return home to the NRM,” he declared.
NRM Resurgence in Buganda?
Political observers see Kasolo’s re-entry into the Kyotera race as a key test for NRM’s grassroots strength in southern Buganda, a region where opposition parties, particularly NUP and DP, have made significant inroads over the past two election cycles.
As NRM’s Buganda Vice Chairperson, Kasolo has been central in mobilizing party structures, rebuilding coordination between district committees, and strengthening the NRM’s support base in subregions such as Masaka, Ssembabule, Rakai, Lyantonde, Kalungu, Lwengo, and Kalangala.
“This nomination is not just about Kyotera, it’s about reclaiming Buganda for the NRM,” Kasolo emphasized in his address to the crowd. “We have a clear message for the opposition: our people want service, not shouting. The yellow spirit is back.”
Grassroots Endorsements in Kyotera
Hon Kasolo’s nomination rally also featured endorsements from several NRM leaders and parliamentary flag bearers, including Kyotera District NRM Vice Chairperson Enos Mugisha, who pledged full support for his campaign that kicks off November 10, a date gazetted by the Electoral Commission Chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama, to officially open campaigns.
At the sidelines, locals DailyExpress spoke to, hailed Hon Kasolo as a hands-on leader with a record of delivery. “Kasolo was always present and supportive. He delivered electricity and helped youth groups. We are ready to bring him back,” said Sarah Namatovu, a resident of Kasaali.
The mega rally, which also attracted district flag bearers and party officials, marked a strong statement of NRM’s resurgence in Kyotera, a constituency that slipped from the ruling party to opposition hands in 2021.
With official campaigns scheduled to begin on November 10 and run until 48 hours to January 15 general election, Kasolo’s team says the minister’s comeback will anchor NRM’s larger strategy to consolidate Buganda votes behind President Museveni’s re-election.
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