10 Years, No Results: Constituents Slam Namuganza’s Empty Promises, Demand Accountability, Not Connections

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Ivukula, Namutumba | The political temperature in Bukono Constituency has risen sharply ahead of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) primaries, with incumbent MP and State Minister for Lands Hon. Persis Namuganza claiming targeted harassment and intimidation by rivals seeking to unseat her.

Addressing mourners at a burial in Ivukula Sub-county on Saturday, Namuganza accused her political opponents of deploying “egaali”—a Luganda slang for organized gangs of unruly youth—intended to sabotage her campaign and create public disorder.

“Someone called me this morning claiming they had been paid Shs20,000 to pelt me with stones whenever I attend burials. He asked for double to abort the mission,” Namuganza alleged, as murmurs spread among the crowd.

The Minister, who has represented Bukono for a decade, cited escalating threats as her reason for hesitating to participate in joint NRM campaign events, saying the hostile climate is making her security team increasingly uneasy.

“You pelt me with stones, yet my security detail has guns with bullets. Do you want us to respond?” she warned, a statement that drew audible gasps and further grumbles from sections of the audience.

Namuganza also claimed that President Museveni had personally expressed concern over her safety following a viral incident last month where she was heckled and blocked from speaking at a burial in the constituency.

Her remarks, however, drew mixed reactions from constituents, with some accusing her of shifting focus from service delivery to self-preservation and patronage politics.

“For 10 years, she has fed us stories about how close she is to the President. What we need now is tangible development, not name-dropping,” one mourner remarked off the record.

The NRM primary ticket for Bukono is fiercely contested, with front-runners including Paul Bajje Baite, Emmanuel Maganda Katoko, Hajji Siraji Gusongoirye, and Dr. Andrew Mpanga.

In a thinly veiled swipe at Baite, Namuganza questioned his decision to challenge her, describing his candidacy as a betrayal.

“Mr. Baite Munobwa [Paul’s father] is my political patriarch and I consider him family. For him to front his son against me is the last thing I expected,” she said.

But Baite, who recently returned from the UK and has garnered grassroots support, dismissed Namuganza’s claims as political deflection.

“Her accusations are a smokescreen. Over the past 10 years, she has played politics and failed at service delivery. It’s time for action, not rhetoric,” Baite fired back.

He promised to champion a people-first leadership model, rooted in visible development and consistent engagement.

“Time for absentee leadership is over. We need results, not power games,” he said, adding that he would officially launch his campaign this Saturday at Ivukula Sub-county Headquarters.

As the NRM primaries draw closer, Bukono Constituency remains one to watch—marked by deep political rivalries, high stakes, and a restless electorate keen on change.