Irene Nampala, sister to the late Kalangala Woman Member of Parliament Hellen Nakimuli, has emerged as the leading contender in the National Unity Platform (NUP) internal vetting exercise for the party flag in the forthcoming by-election.
According to results released by the party Elections Management Committee, Nampala topped the list with 68 points, placing her in a strong position ahead of other aspirants vying to represent the opposition party in the hotly contested race.
The vetting process assessed candidates on criteria including organisational ability, grassroots mobilisation, political communication, party loyalty, and leadership potential, according to the committee.
NUP Vetting Scores for Kalangala Woman MP Aspirants
- Irene Nampala — 68
- Jesca Nassiwa — 48.7
- Nakitende Mary — 45.7
- Kiwanuka Irene — 35.8
- Nakitende Maria — 35.2
- Nantayi Aisha — 30.9
- Nanyomo Beatrice — 29.1
- Namuddu — 28.8
- Nakigozi Roy — 28
- Barbra — 27.4
- Babirye Sharifah — 26
- Betty — 22.7
- Nalusembo Brenda — 16.5
Party insiders say the wide score gap between Nampala and the rest of the aspirants reflects a strong performance during interviews and her perceived organisational advantage, partly attributed to her visibility in Kalangala following the political legacy of her late sister.
Jesca Nassiwa and Nakitende Mary emerged as the closest challengers, though still significantly behind the frontrunner, while the rest of the candidates registered relatively lower scores in the assessment.
The seat fell vacant following the death of Hellen Nakimuli shortly after her re-election, triggering a politically sensitive contest for the flag.
Nampala is likely to benefit from both name recognition and sympathy-driven voter sentiment tied to her late sister’s legacy.
However, this advantage will still need to translate into structured campaign strength, especially in a constituency where electoral competition is expected to intensify in the upcoming by-election.
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