- Mr Moses Kizito Nsubuga of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party came second with slightly with 43,615 votes, while the incumbent Lord Mayor, Lukwago of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) came third with 41,915 votes. National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Ronald Nsubuga Balimwezo has been elected the new Lord Mayor of Kampala, ending a 15-year tenure by veteran politician Erias Lukwago in one of the most closely watched urban races of the 2026 general elections.
Ronald Balimwezo Nsubuga of the National Unity Platform (NUP) has been declared the new Kampala Lord Mayor after winning the city’s mayoral race with 141,220 votes.
Balimwezo defeated the incumbent mayor and People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) leader, Elias Lukwago, along with Democratic Party (DP) candidate Beatrice Mao and six other contenders.
The victory marks a major political shift in the leadership of Kampala, ending Lukwago’s long dominance of the city’s top political office.
Balimwezo’s campaign centred on his slogan “Kampala needs an Engineer,” which resonated strongly with voters seeking improved urban planning, better infrastructure, and efficient city management.
The new Lord Mayor previously served as Mayor of Nakawa Division and later as Member of Parliament for Nakawa East, where he pledged to serve only one term — a promise he honoured.
A civil engineer by profession, Balimwezo has often linked his political ambitions to his personal experience as an amputee, having lost his leg in a road accident he attributes to poor city infrastructure.
With his election, attention now turns to how he will deliver on his promises to reform Kampala and address long-standing challenges facing the capital.
