Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago has abandoned plans to contest for the presidency under the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), opting instead to seek re-election as Lord Mayor in the forthcoming polls.
Well-placed sources indicate that the veteran lawyer and opposition stalwart is expected to pick nomination forms for the Kampala City Lord Mayor position next week, ending weeks of speculation about his next political move.
For months, Lukwago had been touted by sections of the opposition as the natural heir to Dr. Kizza Besigye, who remains in detention and is unlikely to appear on the 2026 presidential ballot.
His name had been floated as a potential opposition flag bearer, raising hopes of a reinvigorated challenge to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s long reign.
However, insiders say Lukwago shelved the plan after weighing the risks of facing a deeply entrenched incumbent who has held power for nearly four decades.
“Contesting against President Museveni is not the walkover many assumed,” one source noted, adding that Lukwago preferred to consolidate his base in Kampala rather than venture into a national race.
The decision has sent ripples across opposition ranks, particularly within the National Unity Platform (NUP), where some had anticipated that Lukwago’s candidacy could reshape the 2026 race.
His U-turn has also unsettled the camp of former Nakawa East MP Eng. Balimwezo Nsubuga, who had positioned himself as a frontrunner for the Lord Mayor slot in the event Lukwago stepped aside.
Attention has now shifted to other opposition heavyweights, notably Gen. Mugisha Muntu, who has already declared his intention to challenge Museveni once again. Political observers suggest the PFF could rally behind Muntu as a consensus candidate, potentially altering the dynamics of the opposition strategy heading into 2026.
Lukwago’s decision underscores the uncertainty within Uganda’s opposition as it struggles to present a unified front against Museveni, whose grip on power has withstood repeated attempts at challenge.