Fifteen-year era of Erias Lukwago as the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) political head has been ended following his terrible defeat by Ronald Balimwezo in a hotly contested election that was marred with claims of declaration of falsified results by the Uganda Electoral Commission (EC) officials.
Lukwago a prominent high court advocate was running on the ticket of the newly formed Peoples Front for Freedom (PFF) party, while Balimwezo a civil engineer held the flag for the largest opposition party, the National Unity Platform (NUP).
The Kampala lord mayoral race had attracted six other contestants, bringing their total number to eight, although the tight race was between Lukwago and Balimwezo, sparking sloganeering among supporters from either camp with Balimwezo supporters chanting that Kampala needs an engineer, while Lukwago’s, that it needs a lawyer.
Other six candidates included; Beatrice Nambi Mao (DP), Ibrahim Kasozi (FDC), Moses Kizito Nsubuga (NRM), Eddy Bazira (independent), Nabilah Naggayi Ssempala(independent) and Jothan Yamureebire Burobuto (Independent)
Preliminary results from the January 22nd held polls that had been announced by the Electoral Commission (EC) Returning Officers at Polling Stations from all the divisions of Kampala including Lukwago’s strong holds; Kawempe and Lubaga, put Balimwezo in an early lead until his win was officially confirmed.
Kampala city is made up of five divisions including; Kampala Central, Lubaga, Nakawa, Kawempe and Makindye.
However, claims of declaration of altered results started emerging on Friday morning from the NUP and Lukwago camps, faulting the Kampala district Returning Officer Jennifer Kyobutungi for attempting to feed into the system falsified results, inflating the ruling NRM party candidate who was trailing third with a terrible performance.
When Kyobutungi seemed un bothered, a sharped protest erupted against what was described as a pre-determined people power victory grab, forcing her to temporarily halt vote tally amid heavy military and police deployment at the tally center set at MUBS.
Balimwezo faulted the Returning Officer for playing delaying tactics aimed at depriving him, his party and voters of their hard-earned victory. Later on, calm was restored and vote tally resumed.
Close to midnight, Balimwezo was eventually declared the winner on Friday with 141,220 votes against 41, 915 votes by Lukwago. NRM candidate Nsubuga was given 43, 600 votes, while Nambi 2,152 votes. Kasozi polled 1,427 votes, Burobuto 119, whereas Bazira 188 votes and Nabila 1, 854.
Unlike the parliamentary and presidential election, this polling had attracted a very low voter turnout which voters blamed on subversion of their will in the previous poll by the state authorities.
Despite an early arrival at the tally center by the Incumbent lord mayor’s main contestants, he did not make a show there.
Earlier, Balimwezo had condemned what he had called the acts of impunity by the ruling party cadres, citing the deployment of goons to snatch the Declaration Results (DR) forms from them. to justify their scheme.
His leadership comes in at the time when the capital is sunk into among other challenges, potholed roads, trader disorder and poor sanitation, which the observers say arise from the limited funding by the central government.
Lukwago’s 15-year tenure was grounded on his legal advocacy in what popularly earned him a name of Rule of Law advocate. Before assuming the lord mayor ship; 2011, he was an MP for Kampala Central division;2006- 2011.
Balimwezo was mayor for Nakawa division; 2016-2021 and MP for Nakawa East; 2021-2026 when he opted for the capital’s lord mayoral seat.
Now, a lot awaits to see how the loquacious incoming lord mayor will turn around Kampala city.
