Kampala City, Uganda: The opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate, Engineer Ronald Balimwezo Nsubuga, has been elected as Kampala’s new Lord Mayor, ending a 15-year tenure by veteran politician Erias Lukwago, who has held the position since 2011.
Kampala City’s Electoral Returning Officer, Ms Jennifer Kyobutungi, declared Balimwezo the duly elected Lord Mayor after he polled 141,220 votes, the highest among the eight candidates who contested for the city’s top political office in the January 22 Local Government Council elections.
The incumbent Nakawa East MP defeated veteran politician Lukwago of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), who garnered 41,915 votes to come third in the eight-man race, while National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate Kizito Moses Nsubuga finished second with 43,615 votes in one of the most closely watched urban contests of the 2026 general elections.
Other candidates, including Beatrice Mao of the Democratic Party (DP) polled 2,162 votes, independent candidate Nabilah Naggayi Sempala got 1,854 votes, Ibrahim Kasozi Biribawa of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) 1,427 votes, Eddie Bazira Kibalama (Independent) 188 votes, and Jothan Yamureebire (Independent) got 119 votes to seal the race.
Lukwago, a seasoned lawyer and political figure, had dominated City Hall politics since 2011 and became synonymous with opposition leadership in Kampala for more than a decade, but the defeat to Balimwezo marks a defining moment in the capital’s political landscape.
Speaking shortly after his declaration, Balimwezo pledged inclusive leadership and said he would seek guidance from his predecessor.
“I will knock on your doors because you are experienced and you have done a lot for this city. I thank you for the great service you have offered to Kampala,” Balimwezo vowed.
He also thanked the people of Kampala and the National Unity Platform for the mandate, paying tribute to party president Bobi Wine for backing his candidature. “I particularly thank our president Bobi Wine for believing in me and giving me a chance to represent the National Unity Platform.”
The outcome of the Lord Mayoral race marks a significant generational and strategic shift within Kampala’s opposition politics, with voters opting for a new leadership under the NUP banner amid broader political realignments in the city’s urban electorate.
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