For As Long As Museveni Is Still President, I Won’t Contest Again! Former MP Paulson Luttamaguzi Vows

Former Nakaseke South Member of Parliament Paulson Luttamaguzi Ssemakula has said he will not contest in future elections if President Yoweri Museveni remains in power under what he described as the current electoral system.

Luttamaguzi made the remarks while appearing on Sanyuka TV, where he explained that his decision would not mean that he is leaving politics. Instead, he said he would remain politically active while concentrating more on farming.

“If Mr Museveni is still in power under this system, I will not contest in elections again, but I will not quit politics,” Luttamaguzi said, adding that people would not see him on the ballot if the current system remains.

His comments come months after he lost the Nakaseke South parliamentary seat in the January 2026 General Election, ending his 10-year period in Parliament. Luttamaguzi first won the constituency in 2016 on the Democratic Party ticket and retained it in the 2021 election.

Ahead of the 2026 elections, Luttamaguzi moved from the Democratic Party to the National Unity Platform and was given the party ticket to defend the Nakaseke South seat. He was later defeated by National Resistance Movement candidate Charles Nsereko Basajjassubi.

Following the election, Luttamaguzi questioned the circumstances surrounding his defeat and alleged that his votes had been rigged. Those allegations were contested by NRM officials, who pointed to his previous electoral victories in the same constituency.

Rogers Mulindwa, the NRM senior manager for information, communication and public relations, said it was difficult to reconcile Luttamaguzi’s allegations with the fact that he had previously won elections in the same constituency.

Mulindwa argued that the people Luttamaguzi accused of rigging his votes had previously been part of the electorate that elected him for two terms. He also said he was pleased that the former MP had not challenged the outcome of the 2026 election.

Despite his decision to stay away from the ballot under the conditions he described, Luttamaguzi has made it clear that he does not intend to completely withdraw from public affairs. He said he would continue participating in politics while pursuing farming as another area of focus.

Luttamaguzi’s announcement now places his future political participation outside elective office, at least under the conditions he described. For now, the former Nakaseke South MP says he will remain involved in politics while concentrating on farming rather than seeking another parliamentary seat.