State Minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Persis Namuganza, has made a significant political move by endorsing her former rival, First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga, for the position of Second National Vice Chairperson (Female) of the National Resistance Movement (NRM). This endorsement comes despite years of public rivalry between the two, including a heated contest for the same position in the 2020 NRM structure elections, where Kadaga defeated Namuganza with 6,776 votes to 3,882.
Namuganza’s endorsement follows criticism of Busoga leaders who recently backed Speaker Anita Among for the same NRM position. She labeled Among a “stranger” to the region and questioned the motives behind her endorsement by several NRM district chairpersons in Busoga. “If we have Kadaga, why endorse Anita? Yes, if you got money the best you can do is to abstain,” Namuganza said on a local radio show.
Observers suggest that Namuganza’s support for Kadaga is both a reconciliation and a strategic alignment. According to Bukono chiefdom’s Prime Minister, Fred Kabakubya Elidad, Kadaga played a pivotal role in the creation of Namutumba District and Bukono constituency, which Namuganza now represents. This historical connection, along with shifting alliances among Busoga MPs, has influenced Namuganza’s decision to publicly back Kadaga
