2026 POLLS FEVER! Tension as incumbent Kamusiime, NWSC boss battle for Rukiga Woman MP Seat

 

By Moses Agaba

Rukiga: As the country prepares for the forthcoming 2026 general elections, a terrible  political tension is building in Rukiga, for the district Woman Member of Parliament seat.

Incumbent Caroline Kamusiime Muhwezi the Rukiga District Woman Member of Parliament  is facing stiff challenge from Dr. Sylvia Arinaitwe Mwanaki, the Deputy Managing Director, National Water and Sewerage Corporation, in charge of Finance and Administration  who hails from Kamwezi Sub County.

Detailed findings on the ground reveals that since her declaration to vie for the Rukiga district woman MP seat in 2026, Dr. Arinaitwe  has been conducting several consultations, which saw her splashing a huge sum of money.

This has since been viewed as a huge threat against MP Kamusiime’s political support.

Dr. Arinaitwe has also raided the incumbent’s backyard—recruited and deployed all the former campaign managers of the incumbent.

But despite endless threats to lose her parliamentary seat, MP Kamusiime has remained steadfast and recently resorted to conducting various clandestine mobilizations to silence Dr. Arinaitwe’s storm.

Last week, the two camps held different functions near each other.

Dr Slyvia Arinaitwe attended  the NRM Chairman Cup soccer finals that’s were held at Rwamucucu playground in Rwamucucu Sub County Rukiga District where Engineer Moses Hasim Magogo the Federation of Uganda Football Association-FUFA president  and Budiope East Member of Parliament  was the guest of honor.

Magogo’s speech attracted peoples’ reaction questioning why he out rightly pledged total support to the first time aspirant Sylvia Arinaitwe against the incumbent.

Magogo’s presence at the football match has raised eyebrows among political analysts and local leaders alike. As a sitting MP from a completely different region and the spouse of one of the most powerful figures in Ugandan politics (Speaker Anita Among), his involvement in a local Rukiga contest is being interpreted by some as an indirect fight of the Speaker against incumbent MP.

In his address, Magogo claimed that the people of Rukiga deserved “a fresh voice that puts people before politics,” and praised Arinaitwe for her courage to challenge the status quo.

Arinaitwe, visibly energized by the support, used the same platform to further criticize the incumbent alleging that under her leadership, Rukiga had been sidelined in terms of development, especially in the sectors of youth empowerment, education, and rural infrastructure.

Arinaitwe painted herself as the new generation of leadership ready to “stand up for the voiceless” and promised to bring national attention to local issues if elected in 2026. Her campaign message focused on transparency, accessibility, and a promise to bridge the gap between government programs and grassroots implementation.

However, supporters of Caroline Kamusiime Muhwezi have strongly condemned what they call a “coordinated smear campaign” engineered by outsiders and her opponents with little knowledge of the district’s realities.

Local leaders including the Rwamucucu Sub County chairperson Eddy Mugisha and the Kitojo parish chairperson Amon Rutale Naturinda and community members rallied in support of Kamusiime, highlighting her contributions to road construction, women’s economic empowerment groups, Support to Churches, educational initiatives and her all round good leadership.

“Caroline has worked tirelessly for this district since its inception. No imported politician can erase the progress we have seen,” said Grace Twinomugisha, a women’s group leader from Bukinda.

“Hon Caroline is a hardworking and humble servant of the people of Rukiga. We are extremely proud of her leadership and we are ready to vote for her again in 2026,” said Mugisha Eddy, Chairman LC3 Rwamucucu Sub-county.

The incumbent MP herself responded with measured confidence, stating that while every Ugandan has a right to campaign and support candidates of their choice, Rukiga voters are “wise and grounded in truth.” Kamusiime added that the people know who has stood with them and set them on a developmental path.

She urged the population to use their eyes and wisdom and shun opportunists who are after personal goals.

She further confidently stated that her development track record and achievements speak for themselves and reminded people that her focus remains on development and unity, warning against politics of division and misinformation.

“Those who seek to mislead our people for personal gain will be judged by the ballot,” she said in a brief statement.

At the same time the Rwamucucu Sub County LCIII Chairman Eddy Mugisha held a thanksgiving in the home of Katabazi the father in law of Kamusiime that was aimed at buying a school brass band.

WHY MP KAMUSIIME IS FACING SHARP 2026 POLITICAL BATTLE

Kamusiime has been Rukiga District Woman Member of Parliament since 2017 after Rukiga was carved from Kabale district.

Recently, she faced criticism stemming from sectarian undertones—that she is a born of another district and married in another tribe unlike Dr. Sylvia who is also a born of Kanungu district but married to her tribe mate  in Rukiga.

It has also been revealed that MP Kamusiime’s opponents, whom she had previously been contesting against, have now formed an alliance to support Dr. Sylvia Arinaitwe.

Trouble for MP Kamusiime escalated further by the fact that her own in-law, Patrick Kiconco  Katabazi, is contesting for the Rukiga County MP seat against Ndyomugyenyi Roland (incumbent), who is her close political ally.

Katabazi, who previously supported Kamusiime, has in the recent past been mobilizing for Dr. Sylvia against the incumbent who is also his in-law. The family heir Drake Katabazi has tried to convince him out of the race albeit unsuccessful.

As political tensions continue to rise in the district, the entry of national figures into the local campaign scene is expected to intensify the competition in the lead-up to the 2026 general elections.

Whether the support from high-profile allies like Moses Magogo will elevate Sylvia Arinaitwe’s candidacy or backfire as external interference remains to be seen, but one thing is clear that Rukiga District has once again become a political battleground and one to watch out for in the coming elections. 

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