Hoima City East Division mayor John Bosco Muhanuzi has survived a strong voter backlash against National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag bearers in Hoima City, emerging victorious in a closely contested mayoral race despite a broader rejection of the ruling party in key city positions.
Muhanuzi was declared winner after polling 4,958 votes against independent candidate Ali Babi, who garnered 4,177 votes, in what was widely viewed as a tight and unpredictable contest.
Speaking shortly after his victory was announced, Muhanuzi said he was never intimidated by the so-called anti-NRM wave, crediting his win to consistent service delivery and staying connected to voters.
"When I heard about the wave, I just laughed. I knew I would manage because people judge leaders by what they do, not just the party they belong to," Muhanuzi said.
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In the lead-up to the January 15, 2026 general elections, there had been growing sentiment on the streets of Hoima that voters wanted to punish NRM leaders, accusing them of being silent on issues affecting the city and reluctant to directly challenge the presidency.
That sentiment appeared to manifest at the parliamentary level, where all three Hoima City parliamentary seats were won by non-NRM candidates. Ismail Kasule of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) won Hoima City West, Nyakato Asinansi of the People's Front for Freedom (PFF) secured the Woman Member of Parliament seat, while Dr Patrick Mwesigwa Isingoma, an independent aligned with the opposition, won Hoima City East.
Following the parliamentary results, pressure intensified for the city mayoral and divisional NRM flag bearers to also be voted out.
The wave proved fatal for several ruling party candidates. In Hoima City West Division, NRM flag bearer Robert Ruhigwa lost the mayoral seat to independent candidate Julius Kyomuhendo Bahemuka.
At city level, incumbent mayor Brian Kaboyo, who ran on the NRM ticket, was defeated by his former speaker Edward Isingoma, an independent who had earlier lost the NRM primaries.
However, Muhanuzi defied the trend in Hoima City East, holding onto his seat despite facing a strong independent challenge.
He said voters were not necessarily rejecting the NRM but were demanding accountable and visible leadership.
"People are not tired of NRM; they are tired of leaders who abandon them after elections. I stayed on the ground from 2021 to 2026, and that is why I survived," he said.
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Muhanuzi urged fellow leaders to remain closely engaged with their constituencies.
"The problem comes when leaders think winning makes them untouchable. That was never my approach, and it has made it easier to retain my seat even during this wave," he added.
Meanwhile, newly elected Hoima City mayor Julius Kyomuhendo Bahemuka said his victory was driven by voters' desire for a more accessible and proactive leader.
"People want a leader who is purposeful, connected and able to lobby for services. You cannot represent people you rarely interact with," Kyomuhendo said, pledging to remain visible and engaged with residents.
Despite opposition gains at parliamentary and mayoral levels, both Hoima City East and West divisions returned councils dominated by the People's Front for Freedom and NRM, with a handful of independents.
The National Unity Platform (NUP) secured only one councillor seat in Bunyoro, won by Hannington Kasasa in Northern Ward.
Elsewhere in the region, NRM maintained a foothold. In Masindi Municipality, Rogers Amanyire of the NRM won the mayoral race with 10,062 votes in a six-candidate contest.
He was followed by FDC's Isaac Bongomin with 2,583 votes, while incumbent Ronald Businge Kyomuhendo, who ran as an independent after losing the NRM primaries, placed third with 2,383 votes.
In Kiryandongo District, NRM's Lenos Ngopek retained the Kibanda North parliamentary seat after polling 14,564 votes in a delayed election held on January 27.
His closest challenger, Amin Taban, secured 8,444 votes in the nine-candidate race, which had been postponed earlier due to a ballot omission.
