Ronald Balimwezo has said his victory over Erias Lukwago in the 2026 Kampala mayoral race is a done deal because the lord mayor has lost popularity.
In an interview with The Eye Ug, an online TV, Balimwezo, the Nakawa East MP, claimed that even Lukwago’s neighbours in Rubaga had assured him of their votes.
“People have told me that Lukwago has done well, but he should retire. I even went to his neighbourhood and they were saying it. I have the videos. I am not provoking [Lukwago] but that is the truth. Go to Natete, people are singing Balimwezo,” he said.
He said he has no personal issues with Lukwago but after serving three terms, he believes it is time for him to step aside for new blood.
“I want a bigger platform to lobby for money for Kampala to solve its problems. The lord mayor is responsible for five divisions of Kampala. You formulate the strategies and programmes for Kampala. The executive director implements your strategies. An MP only lobbies for their constituency. I want the people of Kampala to get some of the fruits the people of Nakawa have been getting,” Baliwmezo said.
Asked whether the party’s decision to back him against the popular Lukwago in Kampala was not a ploy to get rid of him politically, Balimwezo said it was not the case.
“I can’t stand for the position of lord mayor when I am not sure of victory. I have never lost an election. My Plan A is to become lord mayor. My Plan B is to become lord mayor,” he said.
Some analysts have argued that Balimwezo’s duel with Lukwago in 2026 could cause friction between the National Unity Platform (NUP) and Peoples Front for Freedom (PFF), the platform to which Lukwago belongs.
Lukwago has been Kampala’s lord mayor since 2011 and indications are that he is gearing for the same position in 2026.
Balimwezo served as Nakawa mayor between 2016 and 2021 before he was elected to Parliament.
