NUP Unveils Irene Nampala as Flag Bearer for Kalangala Woman MP By-Election

The National Unity Platform (NUP) has unveiled Irene Nampala as its flag bearer for the forthcoming Kalangala District Woman Member of Parliament by-election.

Nampala emerged victorious from a field of 14 aspirants who underwent a rigorous vetting process conducted by the party’s Elections Management Committee (EMC). Her candidature is understood to have received the backing of the family of the late Kalangala Woman MP, Hellen Nakimuli.

The by-election follows Nakimuli’s death on April 19, 2026, creating a vacancy in a seat that has been held by NUP since the 2021 general elections.

Announcing the party’s choice, NUP Elections Management Committee Chairperson Harriet Chemutai said the selection process assessed candidates on their leadership credentials, loyalty to the party, grassroots mobilisation capacity, and ability to retain the constituency for the opposition.

“We considered several factors, including candidates’ connection to the people, their commitment to the party, and their ability to effectively represent the interests of Kalangala residents,” Chemutai said.

Nampala is a political activist and community mobiliser from Kalangala District who has built her profile through grassroots engagement and opposition politics in the island district. She is widely associated with mobilisation efforts during the 2021 general elections and subsequent NUP party-building activities in the area.

Party officials describe her as one of the emerging young female leaders in Kalangala, with strong links to local structures across the district’s fishing communities and islands. She has also been involved in advocacy initiatives focusing on women’s empowerment, youth livelihoods, and improved access to social services in hard-to-reach communities.

According to Chemutai, Nampala’s ability to connect with women and young voters was among the factors that strengthened her candidature during the vetting process.

Her selection forms part of NUP’s broader strategy to retain political control of Kalangala, where the party secured a breakthrough in 2021 when Nakimuli defeated the National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate to win the Woman MP seat.

Nampala is expected to face stiff competition from the ruling NRM, which has already fronted former Kalangala Woman MP Aida Nabayiga as its candidate. Other political parties are yet to announce their flag bearers.

The contest could also be influenced by ongoing discussions among opposition parties regarding the possibility of fielding a joint candidate. Earlier this week, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) President Patrick Oboi Amuriat told journalists at the party headquarters in Najjanankumbi that the party was open to supporting a joint opposition candidate following consultations with other opposition leaders.

However, it remains unclear whether all the unsuccessful NUP aspirants will rally behind Nampala’s candidature or pursue alternative political arrangements that could split the opposition vote.

Charles Lwanga Kirumira, NUP’s Greater Masaka Regional Mobilisation Coordinator, said the party would engage the unsuccessful aspirants to foster unity and avoid divisions that could weaken the party’s electoral prospects.

“We are going to engage all the aspirants and encourage them to support the party’s flag bearer so that we maintain a united front going into the by-election,” Kirumira said.

The Electoral Commission has scheduled the Kalangala District Woman MP by-election for June 24, when voters will elect a successor to the late Hellen Nakimuli.