Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1235 EAT on Friday 29 May 2026

The National Unity Platform has unveiled Irene Nampala, sister to the late Helen Nakimuli, as its flag bearer for the forthcoming Kalangala District Woman Member of Parliament by-election.

According to the party, Nampala emerged victorious from a pool of 14 aspirants following a rigorous vetting process conducted by the party’s Elections Management Committee (EMC).

The by-election was triggered by the death of Nakimuli on April 19, 2026, creating a vacancy in a seat that NUP has held since the 2021 general elections.

Speaking after the selection exercise, NUP Elections Management Committee chairperson Harriet Chemutai said the candidates were assessed on several key factors, including leadership credentials, loyalty to the party, grassroots mobilisation capacity, and their ability to retain the constituency for the opposition.

“We considered several factors, including candidates’ connection to the people, their commitment to the party, and their ability to effectively represent the interests of Kalangala residents,” Chemutai said.

The party expressed confidence that Nampala’s selection would strengthen its chances of retaining the seat in the forthcoming contest, as preparations for the by-election gather momentum.

Nampala is a political activist and community mobiliser from Kalangala District who has steadily built her profile through grassroots engagement and opposition politics within the island district.

She is widely linked to mobilisation efforts during the 2021 general elections, as well as subsequent party-building activities spearheaded by the National Unity Platform in the area. Party officials describe her as one of the emerging young female leaders in Kalangala, with strong ties to local party structures across the district’s fishing communities and island settlements.

Beyond partisan politics, Nampala has also participated in advocacy initiatives centred on women’s empowerment, youth livelihoods, and improving access to essential social services in hard-to-reach communities.

According to Harriet Chemutai, the chairperson of the party’s Elections Management Committee, Nampala’s ability to connect with women and young voters was among the factors that strengthened her candidature during the vetting process.

Her selection is seen as part of NUP’s broader strategy to consolidate and retain its foothold in Kalangala, where the party registered a major political breakthrough in 2021 after the late Helen Nakimuli defeated the ruling National Resistance Movement candidate to win the District Woman MP seat.

Nampala is expected to face stiff competition from the ruling National Resistance Movement, which has already fronted former Kalangala District Woman MP Aida Nabayiga as its candidate for the forthcoming by-election. Other political parties are yet to unveil their flag bearers.

The race could also be influenced by ongoing discussions among opposition parties over the possibility of fronting a joint candidate. Earlier this week, Forum for Democratic Change president Patrick Oboi Amuriat told journalists at the party headquarters in Najjanankumbi that the party was open to supporting a joint opposition candidate following consultations with other opposition leaders.

However, it remains unclear whether all unsuccessful aspirants within the National Unity Platform will rally behind Nampala or pursue alternative political arrangements that could potentially split the opposition vote.

Charles Lwanga Kirumira, the party’s Greater Masaka regional mobilisation coordinator, said NUP would engage the unsuccessful aspirants in a bid to foster unity and avoid internal divisions that could undermine the party’s electoral prospects in the by-election.

-Observer

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