(Kisoro) – The hills of Kisoro were alive with whispers, but few would have predicted the twist that came as Grace Akifeza clinched the Woman MP by-election win, sending shockwaves through both the NRM stronghold and her rival, Rose Kabagyeni’s camp. Running as an independent candidate, Akifeza brought home 50,459 votes, leaving Kabagyeni, the seasoned NRM politician, trailing by nearly 6,000 votes.
The Kisoro District Returning Officer, Daniel Nayebare, finally called the results at 1:30 a.m., as residents huddled in suspense like it was the final stretch of a Luganda drama series. And while the late night fog hung heavy over Kisoro, the electoral fog cleared, confirming that Akifeza would be heading to Parliament—if only for a year until the 2026 elections.
This by-election was nothing short of a classic Ugandan plotline, complete with family intrigue, surprising alliances, and political defections. It began when the position opened following the passing of the former MP, Sarah Mateke. At first, it seemed as if Mateke’s family would keep a firm hold on the seat when district officials and NRM loyalists endorsed Ruth Nyiraneza, Mateke’s sister, to run. But then, Ms. Nyiraneza pulled out, sending NRM back to the drawing board faster than one could say “diversion.”
President Museveni personally stepped in, recommending that Akifeza should be the NRM flag bearer. His request to let Akifeza run unchallenged as the flag bearer was a presidential directive that seemed to sound like a “request” you couldn’t refuse. Five out of twelve aspirants took the hint and dropped out of the race, but seven others dug in their heels.
In the end, Kabagyeni emerged victorious by a razor thin margin of 700 votes in the NRM primary. The unexpected result seemed to divide Kisoro, as the region’s NRM elder, Philemon Mateke, broke ranks and endorsed Akifeza, arguing that Kabagyeni was an outsider forced on Kisoro by the party’s higher-ups. In true Ugandan fashion, Akifeza did not go quietly after her loss in the primaries. Like a classic village storyteller, she rewrote the script by running as an independent candidate and challenging the very establishment that had set her aside.
The final showdown between Akifeza and Kabagyeni turned the election into a tit for tat saga, with voters split between loyalty to the party and allegiance to a candidate from their own soil. Despite the NRM’s robust machinery, Kabagyeni’s appeal didn’t match Akifeza’s grassroots connections, which allowed her to pull off this upset in the traditionally NRM dominated district.
For the other candidates, however, this race was merely a footnote. With neither of the other four candidates managing to cross the 1,000vote mark, the real contest became a two woman battle, while the rest watched from the sidelines like boda boda drivers on a chai break.
Candidate
Affiliation
Votes
Grace Akifeza
Independent
50,459
Rose Kabagyeni
NRM
44,000
Other 4 Candidates
Mixed Affiliations
< 1,000 each
Kisoro residents had eagerly anticipated this by-election drama, and Akifeza’s victory has undoubtedly left Kabagyeni’s supporters feeling as if they missed a step in a traditional Bakiga dance.
Even before the official declaration, social media was already buzzing with memes and comments. Some Kisoro residents quipped that “the NRM primaries were like local soccer tryouts—full of scrimmages but no clear winner.” Meanwhile, those on the streets likened Akifeza’s victory to ekitobero (a popular stew)—“slow-cooked but worth every second of wait.”
Many now wonder if this victory will lead to more independents rising up or if it’s a one off surprise. For now, however, it’s clear that Akifeza’s win has added yet another memorable chapter to Uganda’s political landscape. And with general elections just around the corner in 2026, this battle in Kisoro may be a preview of twists yet to come.
In the meantime, one can only speculate how NRM’s leadership might digest this defeat, but Akifeza and her supporters are likely celebrating like a good harvest, knowing they have just shaken the ground beneath a political giant.
