Former Mukono South legislator and ex-Buganda Parliamentary Caucus Chairperson, Johnson Muyanja Ssenyonga, has been officially nominated to contest for the position of Mukono District Chairperson (LC5).
His nomination has come on the second day of the Electoral Commission’s exercise for local government leaders, making him the third candidate cleared for the top district seat.
Ssenyonga joins Francis Lukooya Mukoome (NRM flag bearer and former district chairperson) and Rauben Ssenyonjo (Independent), who were nominated on the opening day.
Both Ssenyonga and Lukooya previously contested for the Mukono South parliamentary seat in 2021 but lost to DP’s Fred Kayondo.
After losing his seat on the NRM ticket, in July 2024, Ssenyonga dramatically crossed to the National Unity Platform (NUP), citing lack of support from his former party.
Though initially eyeing a return to Parliament as Mukono South MP, NUP’s leadership—led by Vice President for Buganda region Muwanga Kivumbi—persuaded him to step aside in favor of young entrant Robert Maseruka.
The arrangement, however, stirred tensions within NUP, especially with incumbent LC5 chairperson Rev. Peter Bakaluba, who questioned the vetting process.
Speaking after his nomination, Ssenyonga pledged to restore Mukono’s lost glory as a model district through unity, accountability, and service delivery.
“The people of Mukono should expect me to use my expertise in local governance to ensure better service delivery. I am ready to lobby, to fight corruption to zero, and to make sure government programs benefit the ordinary people,” he said.
He dismissed suggestions of belonging to political camps, stressing loyalty to NUP and to the district’s development:
“Even my president Robert Kyagulanyi will be pleased because I don’t belong to any camp. We may belong to the same party but have different approaches to issues. For me, I will work with both politicians and technical staff to deliver.”
Ssenyonga identified youth unemployment as a key priority. He plans to revamp Mukono’s industrial workshops to equip young people with practical skills in carpentry, bricklaying, and crafts.
He also promised to improve the district’s road network and boost the performance of UPE schools by supplying learning materials such as past examination papers and lobbying for printing equipment to level the ground for underprivileged schools.
On the sensitive issue of land grabbing, Ssenyonga accused past leaders of abetting illegal allocations of public land and forest reserves, vowing to protect district resources.
Mukono District Returning Officer Mark Muganzi Mayanja confirmed that the nomination exercise had attracted a high number of candidates, especially for councillorship positions.
“The process is moving smoothly. As long as one meets the requirements, they are nominated. We expect to conclude the exercise by March 10,” he noted.
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