By Kefa Senoga
The Kampala mayoral race has begun to take shape, and it is already serving us more drama than a Sunday evening telenovela. The other day, I found myself debating the race with a Gen Z friend who was convinced that the new NUP flag bearer, Eng. Ronald Balimwezo, will finally give the incumbent, Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, a real run for his money.
His argument? Lukwago has spent much of his tenure “playing to the gallery,” with his media outbursts, street confrontations, and viral rants turning his mayoralty into a sort of reality show.
My friend even brought up the infamous incident where Lukwago was roughed up by security during a protest against the removal of the presidential age limit. He recounted it with such glee you’d think he was describing a comedy sketch rather than a brutal assault.
Yes, biology tells us that when a man’s privates are forcefully squeezed, the pain is excruciating. Screaming and falling over are inevitable. Yet, to my Gen Z friend and many of his peers, the incident was meme-worthy, not sympathy-worthy. Perhaps my Gen X uncle was right we are raising a generation so battered by life’s challenges that they have learned to find humor in pain.
But maybe it isn’t just the audience that has turned tragedy into comedy maybe it’s the media too. Outrage is rarely enough to sell a story anymore. You must lace it with dark humor, craft a headline with just enough sarcasm, and watch the clicks and likes roll in over someone else’s humiliation.
Lukwago, Kampala’s longest-serving Lord Mayor since 2011, has been no stranger to these viral moments. Who can forget his “Tugenda kufa” (“We are going to die”) cry during the COVID-19 lockdowns or the time he shouted “Mujooga basajja mwe” (“You men despise!”) in utter frustration? Whether you love him or loathe him, you can’t deny that Lukwago has given Kampala its share of headline-worthy drama.
Enter Eng. Balimwezo, a man who seems just as comfortable in the spotlight. Known for his booming speeches and fiery confrontations, he too has given Ugandans plenty to talk about, including his now-famous story of knocking out a thief with an uppercut that “sent him flying.” His supporters argue that Kampala needs an engineer to fix its mess. Perhaps an engineer at City Hall will get the President to finally listen to Kampala’s proposals in ways he never listened to a lawyer. But then again, the David Luyimbazi experiment at KCCA, also an engineer, ended with a police summons after the Kiteezi landfill crisis so the “engineering gospel” is no guarantee either.
Perhaps what Kampala really loves is not just a mayor but a performer. Whether it is Lukwago’s court battles and street protests or Balimwezo’s boxing tales and fiery speeches, voters seem to crave a little theatre alongside service delivery. We saw it with Mubarak Munyagwa in Kawempe, and even beyond Kampala, Jinja City’s current Mayor, Alton Kasolo, was a literal comedian before taking office.
This is not unique to Uganda. Globally, some of the most memorable mayors have been those who could command a stage. Boris Johnson, as Mayor of London, got stuck on a zipline waving Union Jacks, fell into rivers, and peppered his speeches with humor, antics that somehow propelled him to 10 Downing Street. In Paris, Jacques Chirac turned his mayoralty into a grand spectacle and eventually marched straight to the French presidency.
Perhaps, since the KCCA Act clipped much of the Lord Mayor’s executive power, Lukwago has had little else but to play the role of Kampala’s chief political dramatist. Love him or hate him, he has been central in representing opposition figures like Dr. Kizza Besigye, fighting for civil rights, and keeping the national conversation alive.
And Balimwezo? His track record in Nakawa, first as mayor and later as MP, suggests he is not just about fiery speeches but also service delivery, and Kampala may want to see what an “engineer’s touch” could bring to City Hall.
In the end, maybe Kampala doesn’t have to choose between drama and service, maybe it will simply choose who gives them the better show. Whether it is Lukwago’s courtroom brilliance or Balimwezo’s booming voice, the gallery will always have its favorite. But as 2026 approaches, the people of Kampala will decide who will headline the next act of this political theatre.
May the best candidate win.
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