KAWEMPE — The Deputy Resident City Commissioner (DRCC) for Kawempe Division, Mr Kagenyi Lukka, has been recognised for what organisers described as transformational leadership and his contribution to strengthening the NRM’s grassroots structures and electoral performance in the division.
Kagenyi was honoured on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, by the Kawempe NRM Youth Brigade at an event held at Costa Rica in Kawempe Division.
According to Mr Abdulkarim Ddamulira, one of the organisers, the award was in recognition of Kagenyi’s role in strengthening the party’s organisational structures and mobilisation efforts, which the organisers said contributed to improved NRM performance in recent elections.
Ddamulira cited the election of Hajjat Madinah Nsereko as the NRM Member of Parliament for Kawempe South as one of the notable milestones.
“In 25 years, Kawempe had never gotten a Member of Parliament from NRM. Now we have Hon. Madinah Nsereko of Kawempe South. And so far, 90 per cent of the leaders in the division belong to NRM,” he said.
“We have organised this event to appreciate you for the support and exceptional leadership you have offered in Kawempe.”
NRM performance:
Figures contained in the nomination document presented during the ceremony show that the NRM’s presidential vote share in Kawempe increased from 23 per cent in the 2021 elections to 47.2 per cent in the 2026 polls.
The youth brigade also attributed the election of Nsereko in Kawempe South to Kagenyi’s mobilisation efforts, describing it as the party’s return to parliamentary representation in the constituency after about 25 years.
The NRM last held the Kawempe parliamentary seat in 2001.
At division council level, the document states that the NRM secured 38 of the 48 councillor positions in Kawempe Division, with opposition parties winning the remaining 10 seats.
The brigade further credited Kagenyi with contributing to the party’s representation at Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), saying three of the five councillors from Kawempe Division were elected to the authority.
The NRM also registered strong results in the recently concluded LC1 elections, according to figures cited by the organisers.
Of the 120 village chairperson positions, the NRM won 77, while the National Unity Platform (NUP) secured 10, the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) three and the Democratic Party (DP) two. Independent candidates won 28 positions, with the organisers describing a number of them as NRM-leaning.
At LC2 level, the document stated that NRM candidates were fielded across all 22 parishes in the division, with Kagenyi playing a leading role in the mobilisation drive.
The organisers said the results demonstrate the impact of sustained grassroots mobilisation and leadership in rebuilding the party’s presence in Kawempe.
‘I came with a plan’
Kagenyi thanked the youth brigade and residents of Kawempe for recognising his work, saying the award was particularly meaningful because it had come while he was still alive.
“What you have done for me when I’m still alive, many don’t get a chance to have it. I’m really grateful for that,” he said.
Kagenyi said that when he was deployed to Kawempe, he came up with a comprehensive plan to address challenges in the division and strengthen the NRM’s presence.
“I have been in Kawempe for one year and one month. When I came to Kawempe, I came with a comprehensive plan to rectify all what went wrong. I said to myself that Kawempe must belong to NRM, and right now it belongs to NRM.”
He attributed the progress to teamwork, saying he worked closely with his team to reach out to different sectors of the community, with an aim of mobilising support for the ruling party.
“I work with my team because I believe when you work as a team, you achieve as a team,” he said.
“And indeed, we achieved our goal. As long as I’m still in Kawempe, I promise to continue painting the division yellow,” he said.
Security and development:
Beyond politics, Kagenyi called for unity among Kawempe residents, saying collective action was necessary to achieve greater socio-economic transformation.
He pointed to initiatives such as the neighbourhood watch programme and the Kawempe Division State of Security Address as some of the interventions through which his office has sought to address insecurity and improve coordination within the division.
He said the initiatives had contributed to efforts to reduce crime and improve security.
Kagenyi also pledged closer oversight of government programmes and projects in the division.
“No more government programmes or projects are going to be launched or commissioned without my physical presence or approval,” he said.
Colleagues hail Kagenyi:
The Deputy RCC for Masaka-Kimaanya Kabonera, Ms Mariam Kaberuka, who attended the ceremony, described Kagenyi as a long-time friend and colleague.
She said the two joined public service around the same time and were initially deployed upcountry before their performance led to their deployment to cities.
“We entered service during the same time and we were both deployed upcountry, but due to our performance, we were brought to serve in the cities,” she said.
Kaberuka also commended Kawempe leaders for their contribution to transforming an area that was previously associated with ghettos and insecurity.
“Now when you come to Kawempe, you can see the transformation,” she said.
The NRM Vice Chairperson for Kawempe, Mr Sansa Jaberi, thanked President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who is also the NRM National Chairman, for appointing Kagenyi to serve in the division.
“You have not disappointed the Office of the President. You welcome everyone as a patriotic leader despite their political affiliation,” Sansa said.
He said Kagenyi had helped bring together different sections of the community while strengthening the NRM’s political organisation.
“You have brought us together as people of Kawempe and you have played a fundamental role in transforming our division,” he said.
Sansa also attributed the NRM’s improved electoral fortunes in Kawempe to Kagenyi’s mobilisation efforts.
“The Deputy RCC’s good mobilisation skills have enabled Kawempe to have a Member of Parliament, Madinah Nsereko, after 25 years. We have 38 councillors out of 48. He has really done a great job. In Kawempe, we have a gift in the person of Mr Kagenyi,” he said.
He also commended Ms Harriet Namubiru for her contribution to the NRM in Kawempe, calling for more grassroots mobilisation.
Youth praise leadership:
The Kawempe Youth Council chairperson, Mr Isaac Sebuufu, said Kagenyi had demonstrated what he described as practical implementation of the NRM manifesto.
“He has been able to put the NRM Manifesto into action. He is a patriotic leader and he treats the youth as his own,” Sebuufu said.
He credited Kagenyi with supporting young people and improving relations between the youth and local leadership.
“He has spread the NRM ideology throughout Kawempe. He has been able to change the mindset of the youth in Kawempe, and that’s why criminality has drastically reduced in the division,” he said.
Mr Ali Musa Ssegane, a Lord Councillor representing Kawempe South, also thanked Kagenyi for his contribution to the NRM’s performance.
“At all levels, NRM scored highly in the recent elections. Your efforts cannot be underestimated. We thank you and your team for your efforts towards transforming Kawempe and the NRM support in the division. We’re really grateful,” he said.
On behalf of the LCIII councillors in the division, Mr Sekitoleko Asuman, a councillor representing Makerere University, said the youth brigade was right to recognise Kagenyi’s contribution.
He commended the Deputy RCC for his role in maintaining peace and security during and after the elections, as well as his handling of land-related disputes in the division.
Mr Kazungu Hamza, the NRM spokesperson for Kawempe Division, described Kagenyi as a strong mobiliser and coordinator who contributed to the party’s performance in the recent general elections.
He said the mobilisation strategies adopted by the leadership helped the NRM strengthen its position in an area that had traditionally been dominated by opposition parties.
The Kawempe NRM Youth Brigade said the award was intended to recognise leaders whose work had produced what it described as measurable organisational and community-level results.
The ceremony was attended by the Assistant RCC for Masaka-Nyendo-Mukungwe, Mr Denis Mukiibi, and other leaders.
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