The contest between the incumbent Member of Parliament for Mukono County North Abdala Kiwanuka aka Mulimamayuni and his rival Ronald Kibuule has taken a dramatic turn, with allegations of past abductions resurfacing and voters demanding accountability from the incumbent.
For weeks, Kiwanuka has been moving through villages, pinning up images of people who disappeared during the previous election cycle.
He accuses his closest contender, former minister Ronald Kibuule, of knowing more about the disappearances than he admits.
“People should not vote for him again until those missing citizens return,” Kiwanuka has repeatedly told gatherings to stir both sympathy and skepticism.
But some constituents have pushed back, questioning why Kiwanuka, himself a lawyer, has not pursued the matter in court.
“He keeps saying Kibuule knows where the missing people are, but why hasn’t he taken legal action in the past five years?” Jamir Kawooya, a resident at Katoogo wonders.
Kibuule has on different platforms dismissed the accusations as desperate campaign tactics put up to shield poor performance, questioning why he would orchestrate abductions of people “without political background or strategic value.”
A group of youths who were previously reported abducted have since been invited at Kibuule’s rallies and complicated the narrative further.
Augustine Kamira, one of the young men arrested in January 2021, now says the story was far more politicized than originally presented.
He recounts being picked up with seven others by men in plain clothes driving unmarked Toyota Hiace vans — the infamous “drones” associated with the 2020–2021 crackdown.
“We were blindfolded, tortured, and accused of taking part in the November 2020 riots after Bobi Wine’s arrest,” Kamira said in a recent interview.
But upon their release, he claims some opposition actors encouraged them to publicly blame Kibuule for their ordeal.
“Some people were given money. I kept quiet to recover, but I can’t stay silent while the opposition continues to use abductions to win sympathy,” he added.
These new accounts have injected fresh uncertainty into an already emotionally charged topic, raising questions about both political manipulation and human rights abuses.
Kiwanuka has denied involvement in any scheme to leverage abductions for political mileage. In an exclusive interview, he insisted that his focus goes beyond the controversy and extends to broader national concerns.
He cited several examples of issues he has raised in Parliament, including President Museveni’s directive banning tree cutting and charcoal trade in the northeast — an order he says unfairly affected traders in Mukono.
“I fought for our people until they stopped impounding their stocks,” he said.
He also pointed to his opposition to plans to dump Kampala’s garbage in Mukono after the Kiteezi landfill crisis, a proposal he argued would have endangered the environment and public health.
On the question of industrial exploitation, a major concern in Mukono North’s manufacturing belt, Kiwanuka pledged to revive the push for a Minimum Wage Act if opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi becomes president.
“We have pushed for that law several times, but Mr. Museveni has refused to sign it,” he said he is in favour of the Chinese to ensure they suffocate our Ugandans.
On the other hand, Kibuule has pledged to further industrialize Mukono North to create jobs for both skilled and unskilled residents, improve factory wages, and attract permanent government services.
He promised to push for the long-awaited flyover at Mbalala Industrial Park to reduce accidents. He criticized the current MP for failing to secure development budgets, noting persistent poor infrastructure, unreliable electricity, and seasonal water supply. He said government presence in the constituency has weakened since he left office.
Justifying his bid to return to Parliament, Kibuule argued that voters can compare his previous achievements with the incumbent’s record. He said no new progress has been made in five years and vowed to lobby for better schools, health services, and skilling centres if re-elected.
Other candidates in the race include Keneth Nsubuga Ssebagayunga (DP), who has not yet launched his campaigns. He recently lost a child who fell from a school balcony and was admitted at TMR Hospital for several days before passing on.
Moses Lukubira Bakubi (PFF) and Isaac Durasi (Independent) have embarked on door-to-door campaigns, promising improved service delivery, while Stephen Ssemusu is yet to officially announce the launch of his campaign.
As the campaign enters its decisive stretch, Mukono North voters are caught between competing narratives — unresolved allegations of abductions, counter-accusations of political manipulation, and candidates offering sharply different visions for the future.
