Mawogola North is on fire once again as NRM’s Sodo Aine Kaguta hits the ground for official constituency activation, just hours after his former opponent Shartis Musherure Kuteesa announced his withdrawal from the 2026 parliamentary race.
Sodo, a familiar name in Mawogola North politics and the biological brother of President Yoweri Museveni, is no stranger to the constituency’s political theatre. In 2021, he bowed out of the NRM primaries in favour of his opponent after a bitterly contested race, citing the need to preserve peace and unity within the party. Many saw it as a sacrifice that cost him the seat—but also cemented his image as a loyalist and a unifier.
Now, with Shartis officially stepping away from the race, citing personal reasons and a desire to focus on private work, the political terrain seems to be shifting.Shartis’ 2021 run was largely seen as a political debut fueled by his father, Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kuteesa’s extensive influence in the region. While the name carried weight, the campaign drew both admiration and critique, with questions raised about dynastic politics and power consolidation.
Sodo’s re-entry this time feels different. The ground response so far has been energetic, with local leaders, youth groups, and women’s circles showing strong support.
His team is already mobilizing through community outreach drives, SACCO revitalization, and youth-led economic empowerment initiatives. For many residents, this feels like unfinished business; a chance to “finish what was started in 2021.”
With the field now significantly clearer, Sodo stands as the most prominent name so far, and his early start could give him the kind of momentum few candidates enjoy this far out from an election.
However, political watchers are not ruling out the emergence of independent candidates or even other NRM aspirants quietly building their own bases.
The stakes in Mawogola North are higher than just a parliamentary seat. It’s a constituency with symbolic weight, it’s the backyard of the first family, a stronghold of NRM legacy politics, and a litmus test for internal party dynamics ahead of 2026.
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