By URN
Cosmas Byaruhanga, the Masindi LC 5 Chairperson, has withdrawn from the Masindi Municipality parliamentary race. Byaruhanga, who has been running as an independent candidate, made the move on Wednesday during President Yoweri Museveni’s rally at Masindi Golf Course grounds in Masindi Municipality.
The announcement was delivered by the Speaker of Parliament, Annet Anita Among, during the rally. According to Among, senior NRM party officials had engaged Byaruhanga—himself a long-serving NRM cadre—to step aside and allow the party’s flag bearer, Rogers Byamukama, to contest for the Masindi Municipality MP seat without internal conflict ahead of the 2026 general elections.
She said Byaruhanga agreed to withdraw, noting that he did not want to weaken support for the NRM candidate or create unnecessary friction within the party. “Your Excellency President, I want to present to you a cadre in Masindi, the district chairman Cosmas Byaruhanga. He has decided to step down from the Masindi Municipality MP race where he has been contesting on an independent ticket. He has done it out of love,” Speaker Among said.
Among cautioned residents against speculating that Byaruhanga was financially influenced, stressing that his decision was personal and made in the interest of party unity and stability. She appealed to the President to consider Byaruhanga for deployment in government, describing him as a senior cadre and elder with vast experience.
Despite attending the rally, Byaruhanga remained tight-lipped and declined to provide further details when contacted by Uganda Radio Network (URN). His withdrawal leaves NUP’s Stephen Wandera, NRM’s Rogers Byamukama, incumbent FDC legislator Joab Businge and independent candidate Vincent Tumwesige.
Byaruhanga has served as Masindi LC5 Chairperson since 2016, when he defeated the late Isingoma Muhimba. In the recent NRM primaries, he contested for the Bujenje County MP seat but lost to incumbent Kenneth Nyendwoha, prompting him to switch to the municipality race as an independent.
Meanwhile, while addressing a rally in Masindi Municipality on Wednesday evening, President Museveni urged the people of Bunyoro to focus on developing their traditional economic activities and avoid over-reliance on the oil and gas sector. He said oil is a blessing from God but warned that its lifespan is limited to about 20 years.
Museveni encouraged residents to embrace agriculture and animal husbandry as sustainable pillars of the economy, citing countries like China and Japan which have developed without oil resources. He criticised opposition politicians for spreading negative information about Uganda’s oil sector instead of mobilising communities to build sustainable livelihoods alongside oil development.
The President appealed to the people of Bunyoro to position themselves to benefit from opportunities emerging from the oil and gas sector. He also pledged to allocate more funding to agriculture to support mechanized and commercial farming.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja appealed to the people of Bunyoro to support President Museveni, saying the region has registered significant development under his leadership, including the oil discovery, construction of critical oil roads, establishment of Kabalega International Airport, improvements in health and education, and expanded electricity connectivity.
