Kampala Lord Mayor Race Turns Hostile as NUP’s Balimwezo Alleges Death Threats from Lukwago’s Camp
KAMPALA – The contest for Kampala’s Lord Mayor in the 2026 elections has taken a violent and ominous turn, with National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Eng. Ronald Balimwezo reporting that he is in fear for his life due to alleged threats emanating from the camp of the incumbent, Erias Lukwago.
Balimwezo has publicly expressed shock at the conduct of his opponent’s campaign, revealing that he has faced not only public insults but also direct threatening statements. The allegations point to a significant escalation in the political rivalry for the city’s top administrative seat.
The threats coincide with a reported shift in Lukwago’s campaign strategy. The incumbent has begun distributing audio messages, played via moving loudspeakers in taxi parks, markets, and streets across the city. In these recordings, Lukwago is said to assure voters, particularly hawkers and taxi drivers, that their ability to work in Kampala depends on his re-election.
Balimwezo alleges that in these audio clips, Lukwago frames other candidates, including Balimwezo himself, as “dealers” who aim to sell the city to tycoons and “mafias in government.” According to Balimwezo, these messages were disseminated on flash drives and broadcast publicly, a tactic he claims is intended to incite fear and hostility against him.
This development marks a dangerous new phase in the campaign, raising concerns about political violence and intimidation ahead of the 2026 polls. The race for Kampala Lord Mayor is historically heated, but the emergence of alleged death threats and incendiary audio campaigns signals a deeply worrying intensification.
As of now, the camp of Erias Lukwago has not publicly responded to these specific allegations. The situation leaves the political atmosphere in Uganda’s capital charged, with one candidate claiming his life is in peril while the other aggressively campaigns to retain his position.
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