By John Okello Lapok
The list of members of Parliament who should watch their backs ahead of the 2026 elections has leaked to us.
The MPs include minister Rebecca Kadaga, Cecilia Ogwal, Nandala Mafabi, Musa Ecweru, Abdu Katuntu among others. The said plan targets mainly MPs who have been there for four terms uninterrupted. However, some of them have been in parliament for as long as Gen. Museveni has been president also meaning that they have served for over 30years. In this expose, we reveal what you didn’t know!
NANDALA MAFABI
He’s the MP for Budadiri West in Sironko District, a position he has occupied since 2001.
Inspectors said his constituency is covered by two major sub tribes or clans. The Bayobo and Bawalasi. Nandala is a Muwalasi although he grew up in Buyobo on maternal side. It’s claimed that during the CA, there was a mutual understanding between the Bayobo and Bawalasi on the issue of representation in parliament. This position was supposed to be rotational.
This is why when Prof. Dan Nabudere a Muyobo won the CA seat, he served that term and quit giving chance to Giruli Isaac (Muwalasi) to serve up to 2001 from 1996.
Naturally, the Bayobo would then take their turn, but this was never the case. Nandala a Muwalasi hit the floor and won the seat until now. Efforts to uproot him have always been unsuccessful especially by NRM.
In 2011 however, he nearly lost the seat to former minister Beatrice Mukaye Wabudeya who herself is a Musiita but married in Buwalasi.
“It was more of a Bawalasi game. The Bayobo simply left them to tear themselves apart after all, the Bayobo were bitter with Wabudeya having mistreated their daughter Irene Muloni” says an Inspector.
Apparently, Muloni is a Muyobo and had always tried to dislodge Wabudeya from Sironko woman MP seat but with little success. She only breathed after Bulambuli district was curved off Sironko and Muloni finally came to parliament. Muloni is married in Bulambuli even as she’s a Muyobo! In 2016, an attempt to dislodge Nandala still by NRM came up through a one Kosea Wambaka (Muyobo) but it seems this too, was a Nandala proxy since they had a business relationship.
“So, as you can see, the Bayobo remain unhappy in these circumstances and are searching for a formidable son or daughter of Bayobo to be presented to Gen. Muhoozi for support” says an Inspector.
To prove how things have become tight for Nandala, the NRM began by capturing all LC1 elections from him that now puts him and his FDC party in total jeopardy!
Rebecca Kadaga
She’s the woman MP for Kamuli District. Actually, among some Basoga, the district should now be renamed Kamuli Limited as it now seems to belong to our dear former speaker.
She’s been the woman MP for this District right from the days of CA and she’s still counting. Not only has she been the MP, but has tasted all the freebies that come with being a VIP in this banana republic. She started as a minister for parliamentary affairs, deputy speaker, speaker of Parliament and now a minister. In other words, Kadaga has only failed to become a president or vice president. She has been the country’s No. 3, (Speaker) 5 (deputy speaker) and has now started riding in reverse gear. She’s now both No. 9 and 10 (deputy premier and minister),
meaning her political curve is beginning to deminish. Back in the constituency, Kadaga still commands the district and it will only take a strong person to challenge her in 2026. Many NRM bigwigs fear antagonizing her due to her power prowess. Now fallen speaker Jacob L’Okori Oulanyah, is the only bigwig who tried going to her constituency and met with the Basoga in the aftermath of his battle for speakership with Kadaga. It’s not clear if Oulanyah would have managed to plant a perfect person to uproot her. Unfortunately, he fell sick and was burried eventually.
We are told the only plan to dislodge her can only be implemented by positioning formidable constituency candidates who will each decompaign her in his or her constituency to deny her support just like it was done to former powerful minister and woman MP for Kabale Hope Mwesigye.
She however, remains strong on the ground and we are told she has made up with several of her hitherto adversaries in Busoga begining with former SG Justine Kasule Lumumba.
Cecilia Ogwal
She had finally fallen in 2011 after losing her Lira municipality MP seat to Obote’s son James Akena. However, Museveni hurried to rescue her from the grassing crew and created Dokolo District. This is how she stoold for woman MP and returned to the eating table in parliament up to now. Cecilia is actually said to be in good books with Museveni even as she professes opposition politics.
It should be recalled that Museveni had wanted to appoint Cecilia as VP in 1996 but she turned down the offer due to pressure from her hitherto president general Obote and his man here Dr. James Rwanyarare who headed the UPC presidential policy Commission and he hated Museveni like nothing.
“Rwanyarare was opposed to any suggestions of association with Museveni/NRM which Ogwal couldn’t avoid since she was dining in parliament. That’s why they always conflicted leading to her (Ogwal) numerous defections to other parties” an inspector says.
None the less, Museveni kept a good heart towards this former Miss Uganda to the extent of giving her chance to do business with the UPDF. She also had to stay around because of the fact that she had a working relationship with former Kenyan president Arap Moi and in the spirit of integration, this made Uganda-Kenya ties strong.
When she rejected the VP position which Museveni wanted to go to a woman, this is how he fished Dr. Spe Wandira Kazibwe from DP and she became the vice president.
Now, we’re told Cecilia even as she is favored, things aren’t the same back in Dokolo and she might have to think about her next course of action in case the MP seat falls!
Felix Okot Ogong
He’s the MP for Dokolo county a position he has held since 2001.
We’re told this one’s troubles are actually many. Even when he tries to position himself for cabinet appointment, Museveni is not willing to change his opinion about him.
Apparently, not only is the president bitter with Okot’s outbursts against him, but also that in 2006, he allegedly stopped him from campaigning in his constituency. We’re told Museveni went to Lango to campaign and the political tempo was hot. He decided to try Dokolo county represented by Okot.
“Please, don’t go to Dokolo, those people don’t want you. You will even spoil my vote” an inspector quoted Okot as telling a politically terrified Museveni (then). Indeed, at the end of the day, he managed to get only 7% votes there but inside him, he kept a grudge with Okot. Matters worsened when the former youth state minister Okot decided to try to dislodge Museveni as Chairman NRM in 2010! In the ensuing episode, Okot was lured by one of the Museveni strategists into a ‘fake’ sugar deal where he lost close to Shs15bn. He has however, tried to survive in radio and transport business with struggles here and there.
“That man Okot as long as I am still alive, will never become a minister (again). He dumped me at the last hour. He campaigned for himself and not me” an inspector quoted the man from Rwakitura as vowing to one of his pals. In fact, that’s why the likes of Sam Engola were appointed to cabinet and Hamson Obua even as Okot continued to expect a position unknowing that Museveni’s heart is politically bleeding every time he looks at Okot! Now, we’re told, his MP seat is also on the verge of going come rain or shine in 2026!
HILLARY ONEK
The minister for disaster preparedness has been MP for Lamwo county for countless terms. This former managing director at National Water, is the first man to stand with Museveni in Acholi sub-region even when the rest of Acholis decided to support the LRA. He would go and sleep in camps with IDPs and this made Museveni start making inroads in Acholi through him. The likes of Beatrice Anywar, Okumu Reagan, Odonga Otto, Ogenga Latigo, Santa Okot, Jacob L’Okori Oulanyah among others were all playing opposition politics and Onek remained steadfast in supporting the movement until many of these have finally joined Museveni. He’s the wealthiest creature in northern Uganda running a line of businesses mainly hotels. However, even as he has worked for Museveni, his time seems to be waning as he will have to struggle to retain his MP seat in 2026 according to the alleged plan.
Anifa Kawooya
For this one, no politician in greater Masaka doesn’t know her or hasn’t worked under her. She started as woman MP Masaka, but the district has since been chopped into almost 10 pieces in form of districts. She was there as woman MP when Masaka was chopped to create Kalangala district, again there when Sembabule went, Lwengo, Kalungu, Masaka City, Masaka District,
Bukomansimbi and now, she stood as Mawogola south MP. The former member of Yellow Galz in parliament which dished out the Shs5m Kisanja cash to MPs, is now a state minister for primary health care. We are told Kawooya seems to have sensed danger ahead that she decided to stand as Mawogola south MP leaving Sembabule woman MP seat where she had served for countless terms. Now, 2026 is on the way and she’s said to be under siege.
Theodore Ssekikubo
The MP for Lwemiyaga may need to find an alternative place for himself if everything goes as per the plan. Actually, some suggest he may look around Makindye areas to have somewhere to raid as things in Lwemiyaga seem to be turning difficult for him. Whereas he has served, voter fatigue is plaguing his chances. Watch out for Part II.
