UGANDA, Hoima | Real Muloodi News | Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba officially announced her bid to contest for the Mityana District Woman Member of Parliament seat in the 2026 General Elections.
Lands Minister Nabakooba, who currently heads the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, revealed her intention during a public event in mid January 2025.
“I intend to stand again as District Woman MP for Mityana District. I served in the first term and delivered what I could in that capacity. People are now comparing the performance of those they voted for,” Nabakooba said.
Nabakooba previously held the Mityana Woman MP seat but was defeated by Joyce Bagala, a former journalist and opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate, in the 2021 elections.
Following the loss, Lands Minister Nabakooba filed a petition challenging the election results, but the court upheld Bagala’s victory.
The 2021 elections marked significant losses for the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) in the Buganda region, with many ministers, including Nabakooba, losing their seats to opposition candidates. Nabakooba’s decision to run again comes amid reports from Mityana residents urging her to return to politics.
“If you go to Mityana, people have been reaching out to me, saying, ‘Madam, come back. We are regretting; we don’t know what happened,'” she said.
Joyce Bagala’s political future remains uncertain, as she has publicly disagreed with NUP leadership, particularly over the controversial 500 million shillings “service award” given to Mathias Mpuuga, former Leader of Opposition and now Commissioner of Parliament.
NUP condemned the award, labelling it as corruption, and demanded Mpuuga return the funds and resign, which he declined. Bagala supported Mpuuga, further straining her ties with the party.
Despite her strained relationship with NUP, Bagala claims she maintains strong grassroots support in Mityana. In June 2024, she defied the party’s directive to step down from her role as Vice Chairperson of the Government Assurances Committee in Parliament.
Lands Minister Nabakooba emphasised that she will focus on delivering essential services and real estate development in Mityana, leveraging her ministerial role to address land issues and promote urban development.
“I had come to deliver services from the government. Mityana people, I am already on the ground. Let’s work together to regain our glory and secure the services we deserve,” she stated.
As the 2026 elections approach, the political landscape in Mityana is poised for a competitive race, with Lands Minister Nabakooba and Joyce Bagala likely to face off once again.
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