13 eye Kalangala Woman MP seat: Here is the by-election programme

• The Kalangala District Woman MP seat has attracted 13 contenders following Nakimuli’s death.

• Eleven candidates from NUP are vying for the party’s ticket.

• Nakimuli’s death occurred after a failed surgery in April 2026.

• The Electoral Commission has scheduled the by-election timeline, with key dates leading up to June 24, 2026, polling day.

At least 13 women in Kalangala District have shown interest in contesting for the District Woman Member of Parliament seat, following the passing of the late legislator Helen Nakimuli last month.

Eleven of these candidates are seeking the National Unity Platform (NUP) ticket, signalling a highly competitive internal selection process in anticipation of the by-election.

Among the NUP aspirants is Ms Irene Nampala, Nakimuli’s sister, alongside Ms Jessica Nasiwa Tusabe, Ms Roy Nakigozi, Ms Mary Goreti Namuddu, who ran for the party ticket in 2021, Ms Beatrice Nanyomo Kirabo, Dr Mary Nakitende, Ms Alice Namugerwa, Ms Aisha Nantaayi, Ms Maria Nakitende, a journalist, Ms Irene Nakanwagi, the district woman councillor, and Ms Irene Nabaggala.

Other notable contenders include Ms Aidah Nabayiga, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag-bearer who ran unopposed in the January 15 General Election, and Ms Hellen Flavia Nagawa, who was an independent candidate but stepped down before the NRM primaries, allowing Ms Nabayiga to run without opposition.

This flurry of interest in the by-election follows Nakimuli’s sudden death on April 19, 2026, at Alexandria Medical Centre in Kampala, after a failed surgical procedure. At the time of her passing, Nakimuli had secured her second term in Parliament on the NUP ticket.

The Electoral Commission has outlined the following timeline for the Kalangala District Woman MP by-election.

Stakeholders will meet and the press will be briefed on May 8, 2026, while the update of the National Voters’ Register at the parish level will run from May 11 to May 13, 2026.

Voter registration and the transfer of voting locations will end on May 13, 2026. Display of the Voters’ Register will take place from May 15 to May 20, 2026, and the training of officials will be conducted on May 19, 2026.

The display of the Voters’ Register at polling stations will run from May 20 to May 29, 2026. Candidates will be nominated at Kalangala District Headquarters from June 10 to June 11, 2026.

A campaign period will follow from June 12 to June 22, 2026, with the final polling day and tallying of results set for June 24, 2026.