As the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) gears up for the 2026 general elections, political tensions in Ssembabule district’s Lwemiyaga constituency have reached a boiling point. A heated confrontation broke out on polling day between the incumbent Member of Parliament, Theodore Ssekikuubo, and his main challenger, retired Brigadier Emmanuel Rwashande.
The two political heavyweights clashed in front of voters and NRM polling officials at a local polling station. Despite attempts by electoral staff to defuse the situation, the argument quickly escalated from a verbal exchange into personal insults.
The altercation highlights the intensity of the contest to secure the party’s flag for the 2026 elections, particularly in Lwemiyaga, a constituency with a history of political violence.
Earlier this week, campaigning was temporarily halted in the area after a tragic incident involving the death of a supporter. The NRM Electoral Commission chairperson suspended all election-related activities following the killing of 25-year-old Fred Ssembusi, a known supporter of Ssekikuubo. Ssembusi was fatally shot by a UPDF soldier reportedly deployed to a campaign rally organized by Ssekikuubo, under circumstances allegedly linked to Rwashande’s camp.
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Ssekikuubo narrowly escaped harm, suffering a finger injury from the same bullet that killed his supporter. The incident forced him to suspend his campaign activities. In response, police assigned him security to safeguard his movements for the remainder of the campaign period.
This episode mirrors the troubling pattern of electoral violence seen in previous elections in the region. Observers and local leaders are once again voicing concerns that NRM primaries in Ssembabule continue to be tainted by violence and bloodshed, casting a shadow over the integrity of the internal electoral process.
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