The final day of nominations for the Kawempe North MP by-election was anything but ordinary, as aspirants brought drama, determination, and controversy to the Electoral Commission (EC) offices in Kawempe on Thursday, February 27, 2025.
Moses Nsereko, a flamboyant and unconventional aspirant, finally secured his nomination after being turned away the previous day for failing to meet the required number of signatures. Arriving at the nomination center at 8 a.m. with a box full of documents, Nsereko ensured he had everything in order, including proof of payment of the Shs3 million nomination fee and certified academic credentials. His outfit—a combination of a red-checked jacket and a nude-colored one—carried symbolic meaning. He claimed the second jacket belonged to his late father and was a source of blessings for his campaign.
Speaking to journalists after his nomination, Nsereko promised to prioritize job creation in Kawempe. He pledged to distribute a portion of the Shs200 million given to MPs to support small businesses, stating, “I am going to give Shs50,000, Shs100,000 to some of my voters accordingly to help them do business. I will also encourage them to save Shs15,000 from every Shs50,000.”
The aspirant, known for his dramatic political antics, left the nomination center in a hurry, sprinting away as if tending to urgent matters. His campaign has been marked by theatrics, including his staged fainting episode after losing the National Unity Platform (NUP) flag and his arrival at the EC offices on Tuesday in a wheelbarrow.
Following Nsereko’s spectacle, another aspirant, Hamza Ddamulira, made an enthusiastic entrance, chanting slogans and declaring himself “the people’s choice.” However, his excitement was short-lived as EC officials immediately flagged his nomination papers. Ddamulira, a 23-year-old Kampala Metropolitan student, had only presented his Senior Six results instead of the UNEB-certified certificate required for nomination. He was subsequently directed to step aside and make way for fully prepared candidates.
Frustrated by the high nomination fees, Ddamulira expressed his disappointment, lamenting, “How can they ask me to pay Shs3 million? I have never even touched Shs1 million, and you ask me for that?” He vowed to push for lower nomination fees if elected, arguing that the current cost of entry into politics excludes many young Ugandans from participating in governance.
Ddamulira was later seen making frantic phone calls to solicit funding before eventually leaving the EC offices.
The final day of nominations was conducted under heavy security, with Military Police and Counter-Terrorism officers deployed at the venue. As the competition for the Kawempe North MP seat intensifies, the drama and tension surrounding the election continue to grow, setting the stage for a heated contest in the coming weeks.
