KASSANDA, June 22, 2025 – The National Resistance Movement (NRM) delivered a commanding performance in the Kassanda District National Youth Council elections on June 19, 2025, securing 3,073 out of 4,109 youth leader positions district-wide.
The National Unity Platform (NUP), despite its prominence in sending three MPs to Parliament in 2021, suffered significant losses, with its national youth leader, Frank Kabuye, facing a particularly humiliating defeat in his home sub-county of Nalutuntu. NUP’s strongman in the Mubende region Hon. Patrick Nsamba, also faltered in his home sub-county of Kalwana, underscoring the opposition party’s struggles in rural Kassanda.
Frank Kabuye, the MP for Kassanda South and recently crowned NUP’s national youth leader, saw his party secure a mere 40 positions in Nalutuntu Sub-County out of 310 seats, while NRM clinched 264 votes for the village youth councilors positions.
Kabuye’s defeat extended to his own village, where local voters overwhelmingly favored NRM candidates, dealing a severe blow to his credibility as a youth mobilizer. Rather, pointing to NUP losing ground in Kassanda. This poor performance in his backyard, where he was expected to leverage his influence, highlights a disconnect between Kabuye’s national profile and grassroots support.
District-wide, NUP managed only 987 seats, trailing far behind NRM’s 3,073, with independent candidates and the Democratic Party (DP) securing 42 and 11 seats, respectively.
In Kalwana Sub-County, NUP’s chief organizer in Greater Mubende and Kassanda North MP, Hon. Patrick Nsamba, also faced a significant setback. NRM dominated with 242 positions out of 424, while NUP, led by Nsamba, secured only 182 positions. Nsamba, a key figure in NUP’s 2021 parliamentary victories in Kassanda alongside Kabuye and Flavia Kalule Nabagabe (Kassanda District Woman MP), struggled to translate his organizational role into electoral success at home. The losses in Nalutuntu and Kalwana reflect NUP’s broader challenge in penetrating NRM’s rural strongholds.
The NRM’s sweeping victories included sub-counties like Mbirizi and Kitumbi, where the party won 100% of the seats with 145 and 224 votes, respectively. While in Manyogaseka sub county, NUP managed to get only nine (9) positions out of 255 available positions, which means NRM took the rest of the positions.
At a meeting on June 20, 2025 in Kassanda Town Council, the new chairman of NRM District Executive Committee (DEC), Dr. Michael Bukenya Kyabikoola, congratulated the youth leaders for rejuvenating the party’s grassroots base, and promised better results in upcoming elections.
“The youth have shown that NRM is unstoppable,” Bukenya said, emphasizing their role in bolstering the party ahead of the 2026 general elections.
Kassanda’s Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Phoebe Namulindwa, praised the youth for conducting peaceful elections and urged them to maintain civility in future polls. “Your discipline sets a benchmark for Uganda,” she noted.
NRM’s dominance is attributed to its robust grassroots networks and government-backed programs like the Parish Development Model, which resonate with rural voters. Political analyst Dr. Sarah Nakiganda observed,
“NUP’s urban momentum hasn’t fully reached rural areas like Kassanda, where NRM’s entrenched structures give them a clear advantage.” Critics, however, point to NRM’s control over local governance, including the influence of RDCs, as creating an uneven playing field.
For Frank Kabuye, the Nalutuntu defeat is a personal and political embarrassment. His inability to secure support in his home sub-county raises questions about his leadership within NUP’s youth wing and his ability to mobilize voters.
As Kassanda’s new youth leaders prepare to tackle issues like unemployment and education, NRM’s grip on local governance positions them to shape the district’s future, while NUP faces an uphill battle to regain ground.
Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at editorial@watchdoguganda.com