NRM's Museveni campaigns in Lwengo, Kyotera

LWENGO - President Yoweri Museveni is Friday campaigning in the districts of Lwengo and Kyotera that were once seen as his traditional strongholds.

The two areas have since turned into a bastion of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party in recent years.

Excited NRM supporters in Lwengo at Mbirizi Seed Secondary School playground, where President Yoweri Museveni has held his first rally. (All Photos by Eddie Ssejjoba)

Museveni has held his first re-election campaign rally of the day in Lwengo at Mbirizi Seed Secondary School playground, and his second and final political event in Kyotera at St. James Secondary School playground.

This will be his second day in the Greater Masaka area after campaigning in the neighbouring districts of Rakai and Lyantonde.

In the 2021 general election, Lwengo had 139,772 registered voters, and out of these, 88,105 (63%) voted.

Museveni, the candidate for the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party, polled 36,411 (42.6%) votes in Lwengo while his main rival, Robert Kyagulanyi of NUP, garnered 47,742 (55.9%).

In Kyotera, there were 124,872 registered voters, and out of these, 78,055 (62.5%) voted.

Museveni got 25,598 (33.8%) votes while Kyagulanyi received 49,132 (64.8%). The others polled 1,046 (1.38%).

In Lwengo, NRM managed to secure three parliamentary seats. However, in Kyotera, all three parliamentary seats were taken by NUP and the Democratic Party.

The microfinance state minister and NRM vice-chairperson for the central region, Haruna Kasolo, is one of those who lost elections to the Opposition in Kyotera.  

Lwengo now has a total of 162,215 voters, an increase of 22,443. The polling stations are 378, up from 270 in 2021.

In Kyotera, the registered voters are now 146,785, an increase of 21,913. The polling stations also increased to 354, up from 224 in 2021.

Lwengo has a population of 325,263 people scattered across 10 sub-counties/town councils, while Kyotera has 275,917 inhabitants living in 14 sub-counties/town councils.

Museveni is campaigning under the theme: Protecting the Gains, Making a Qualitative Leap into High Middle-Income Status.

The theme focuses on safeguarding achievements over the past 39 years, including peace and development, while aiming to propel Uganda to a high-middle-income status.

Other gains include wealth creation initiatives, job opportunities, service delivery, market access, as well as East African political federation.