ROAD TO 2026! MP Bwahika, Kibaju camps face-off in Mbarara

Amos Tayebwa

Mbarara: The recent Mbarara City Kadhi run held at Mbarara Global High School was polarized due to political conflicts and rivalries between the two camps of Mbarara City Woman Member of Parliament Rita Bwahika and Charity Kibaju Kamuhanda aka Nyonyozi that led to a scuffle.

The scuffle occurred amid the Kadhi run kickoff along Buremba road, this was geared by the both camp’s disagreements between the supporters who were fighting for the dominance of the event.

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MP Bwahika was invited as the Chief Guest of Honor for the event, something that did not amuse the Kibaju camp. At the time of Bwahika to flag off the run session, it is alleged that the Kibaju supporters stormed her (Bwahika) trying to intercept her from exercising it until the District Kadhi intervened with bitter emotions to control the situation.

Amid the scuffle, there was bare-knuckle involvement in the process between the supporters of the two candidates (Bwahika and Kibaju).

The Mbarara City Woman MP Seat is among the hot posts in Mbarara in the next elections of 2026-2031. The beefing between Bwahika and Kibaju started at the time when Kibaju showed interest to aspire for the City Woman MP Seat.

The 2024-2025 Kadhi run was organized by the Moslems community from Mbarara headed by the City Kadhi Sheik Hajji Mukwaya purposely for the fundraising towards the construction of an Islamic FM Radio station in Mbarara.

Speaking to the Journalists during the Kadhi run, Herbert Kamugisha, the NRM boss Mbarara District and the aspiring Mayor Mbarara City condemned the actions which are involved with enmity, conflict or fight during the political rallies or campaigns and other communal gatherings.

“I want to highly condemn bad politics in Mbarara City and entirely western Uganda that they mess up our elections, something that results in enmity and sometimes causing bloodshed and death as a result of scuffles between our supporters. I appeal to all leaders who are incumbents and aspiring ones to go back and talk to your supporters, guide them to be calm in some situations. Because there is life after elections, let us not be separated, just because of different political ideologies, Lets us not be divided by election, we should work together whether I win or lose. Good chance we are all NRM, let us all work together as one family, we choose our flag bearers in a calm way,” said Kamugisha, the Aspiring Mayor Mbarara City.

After the very incident of violence between the supporters of Bwahika and Kibaju camp, MP Bwahika urged her rivals and the supporters to stop the characters of causing fights and conflicts while seeking for votes.

Kibaju called for peace and calm: “The most people who know me as Kibaju, they know me as a person who likes peace too much, those who don’t the business I do, I do security business, I work with police, UPDF and especially in private security companies and you cannot get licence for such businesses when you are a violent person. Therefore, I had come purposely to participate in the Kadhi run and all of a sudden I found some groups of people fighting which were said to be between team Kibaju and team Rita. I wasn’t happy with it, but as leaders we are always not responsible about indiscipline of such category of supporters, but as a leader I call on all teams that we are in heated political season, when you involve yourself in violence and sorts of indiscipline acts, know that they may end up dropping you into dangers which may fail you even to reach on the voting day, kindly keep peace,” said Kibaju aka Enyonyozi.