Ezra Twino | Kampala | April 26, 2026
The Patriotic League of Uganda has fronted candidates to fill the vacant positions in the East African Legislative Assembly in the upcoming bye-election.
The vacancies arose after EALA representatives Denis Namara and James Kakooza were elected to Uganda’s Parliament in the 2026 general elections. Under the EALA framework, representatives are elected by National Parliaments but cannot be members of the National Assembly at the same time.
The Clerk of Uganda’s Parliament is expected to communicate the schedule of the bye-election soon after members of the 12th Parliament are sworn in, which will officially create the vacancies.
Several candidates have so far expressed interest to occupy the vacant positions.
RWAKAIZI AND WITONZE
The Patriotic League of Uganda declared interest in the vacant positions and announced Fred Bangumya Rwakaizi and Juma Witonze as the official PLU candidates, for whom they have already started mobilizing support.
Fred Bangumya Rwakaizi is a businessman with cross-border trade experience in Kenya, DR Congo, and Sudan. He says he will rely on that background to advocate for a free market across the region and push for removal of non-tariff barriers. His other priority is security, where he proposes EALA member states set up a joint security force. Rwakaizi is one of the founding members of TEAM CHAIRMAN, a popular pressure group affiliated to Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba that later metamorphosed into PLU.
Juma Witonze currently serves as the Deputy Chairperson of the National Resistance Movement in Gomba District and as coordinator of the PLU structure in Greater Mpigi. He previously served as Vice Chairperson of the Gomba Ssaza Football Team and has been active in community service in Gomba District, supporting vulnerable populations and promoting youth development. During the 2026 general elections, he played a key role in mobilizing support for President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in the Greater Mpigi region. Beyond domestic politics, Witonze has advocated for the rights of Ugandans abroad and promoted international market access for Ugandan products. He has been endorsed by Speaker of Parliament Anita Among and by NRM Women Leaders in Buganda.
During a coordination meeting with newly elected MPs held at Hotel Africana, PLU National Vice Chairman Michael Nuwagira, also known as Toyota, rallied support for the PLU candidates.
Nuwagira described Rwakaizi and Witonze as capable and experienced leaders suited to represent Uganda at the regional level, emphasizing the strategic importance of the bye-election to PLU.
“We want to have representation in the East African Parliament. That is why we are supporting Fred and Juma. They are hardworking and will not disappoint,” he said.
He further pledged to work closely with the MP-elects across their constituencies, offering support for mobilization activities aimed at strengthening the campaign.
“My profession is mobilization. If I come to your constituency, something will change,” he added.
Toyota urged unity among the legislators, stressing that the success of the bid depends on collective effort.
“If they fail, we shall all fail. So we must work together and support them,” he emphasized.
The meeting also served as an endorsement platform, with the MP-elects formally endorsing Fred Bangumya Rwakaizi and Juma Witonze.
On his part, Rwakaizi welcomed the endorsement, saying the engagement with MPs-elect was aimed at building a strong support base and aligning campaign strategies ahead of the vote.
“This meeting is an engagement between the supporters and the candidates. I am engaging my supporters to lay strategies for support,” Rwakaizi said.
He noted that the campaign is focusing on members of the 12th Parliament because they are the ones who will elect the new EALA members.
He added that his bid is rooted in strengthening regional cooperation, particularly in security and development across East Africa.
“We cannot say Uganda is secure when South Sudan is not secure. Strategic security is very important in our region,” he said.
Witonze, outlining his vision for EALA, said: “I am fully prepared, experienced, and ready to raise Uganda’s flag high at EALA. I am committed to advancing President Museveni’s vision of East African integration, especially at a time when many leaders in the region have yet to fully embrace this agenda.”
“If elected, I will ensure that people at the grassroots in areas like Gomba, Masaka, and Kaberamaido understand the concept of East African integration and how they can benefit from it,” he added.