Tensions continue to simmer within the National Resistance Movement (NRM) in Kalungu District, where the party’s local structures remain fractured by bitter post-election disputes that have led to violent clashes among rival supporters.
The intraparty wrangles center on State Minister for Water, Aisha Ssekindi, and former Defence Minister, Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja, whose political rivalry has reportedly spilled into physical confrontations between their respective camps.
In the most recent elections, Ssekindi retained her position as Kalungu District Woman Member of Parliament, while Ssempijja failed to reclaim the Kalungu East parliamentary seat he lost in the 2021 polls.
Party sources indicate that the district has witnessed repeated incidents of violence since the January 15 general elections. Several NRM supporters are reported to have sustained injuries during clashes linked to the ongoing factional disputes.
Benon Ssejjengo, the NRM Mobilisation Secretary for Lukaya Town Council, said the situation remains tense, attributing the instability to the failure of the two senior leaders to reconcile their supporters post-elections.
He further alleged that tensions escalated following Ssempijja’s defeat, accusing members of his campaign team of retaliatory violence against Ssekindi’s supporters, whom they blame for his loss. According to Ssejjengo, at least six people have been injured in clashes since the January polls.
Abraham Ddungu, the NRM General Secretary for Bulawula Ward in Lwabenge Sub-county and one of the victims of the confrontations, claims that Ssempijja’s campaign team targeted individuals perceived as opposing him.
By Our Reporter
13th Feb 2026
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