Supporters of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) in Buwunga Sub County, Masaka District, were treated to another dramatic chapter in the party’s primaries on Friday as political heavyweights were humbled by surprise upsets in grassroots elections.
The day’s most staggering defeat came when Sarah Babirye Kityo, a former Central Youth Member of Parliament and one-time President of the Uganda Netball Federation, lost her bid for the position of NRM Chairperson for Buwunga Sub County.
In a stunning upset, Kityo was defeated by Richard Nkunyingi, a relatively unknown peasant from Kanywa village, who secured 108 votes to her 57.
The result left Kityo visibly emotional, shedding tears as she addressed her loyal supporters.
“I have never had any personal conflict with Alintuma Nsambu, but I was surprised seeing him fighting me while trying to seduce my supporters,” she said through sobs. “I have lost the vote, but I must fight back.”
Kityo’s loss was more than a political blow; it marked a deeper rift within the NRM’s local power structures.
Despite prior calls for reconciliation with her opponent Nkunyingi, including appeals from former ICT Minister Alintuma Nsambu, Kityo chose to press on with her campaign—an act some insiders believe contributed to her downfall.
The mood at the Buwunga Sub County headquarters was a blend of triumph and tension.
While some supporters celebrated what they saw as a shift towards grassroots empowerment, others were left disheartened by the fall of a key figure in the party.
Kityo, who is also an aspiring Member of Parliament for Bukoto East Constituency, left the polling station prematurely, overcome by disappointment.
Her actions after the vote—mobilising supporters to abstain from further party structure elections that day—raised eyebrows and signaled potential fractures ahead of the more consequential parliamentary primaries.
She now faces a tough road in the upcoming contest for the Bukoto East parliamentary seat, likely to face seasoned political figures including Ambassador Alintuma Nsambu, former Bukomansimbi Deputy RDC Kalema Fred Pax, and veteran politician Kizito Nsubuga Majemaje.
Ironically, Kalema himself suffered a defeat earlier in the week, losing the Buwunga Parish NRM Chairperson seat to Rosemary Kamukama, who garnered 77 votes to his 36.
These back-to-back defeats of prominent figures underscore a growing trend of voter independence within the party’s lower ranks.
Amidst the political upsets, calls for unity echoed through Buwunga. Ambassador Nsambu, speaking after Friday’s vote, urged defeated candidates to rally behind the party rather than engage in internal rivalry.
“Politics is not about occupying every position,” he said. “It is about strengthening the party and mobilising support.”
As the NRM gears up for the next round of party structure elections scheduled for May 25, all eyes will remain on Bukoto East Constituency —a small but symbolically powerful battleground revealing the evolving dynamics within the ruling party.
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