By Spy Uganda
Former East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) member Hon. Mukasa Mbidde has attributed his repeated losses in constituency-level parliamentary races to voter demographics, arguing that he performs better in elections dominated by highly educated electorates.
Speaking during a TV talk show following his defeat in the Buwekula parliamentary race, Mbidde said his electoral history shows a clear pattern. According to him, he has consistently won elections in which the majority of voters were educated to at least Senior Six level or its equivalent.
“From the time I was Guild President, I have won elections where voters are Senior Six and above,” Mbidde said. “I won the East African Legislative Assembly race twice and served for a total of ten years.”
Mbidde also cited his rise within the Democratic Party (DP) as further evidence of this trend. He said he was elected Vice President of the party at a delegates’ conference largely composed of educated voters and noted that he went unopposed on several occasions.
“I was elected Vice President of DP by delegates who were mostly Senior Six and above, and I was unopposed almost four times,” he said.
However, the former legislator acknowledged that he has struggled in constituency-based elections, which involve broader voter demographics. “When it comes to elections dominated by people below Senior Six, I have not won,” Mbidde said, adding that such outcomes were, in his view, predictable based on past experience.
Mbidde’s electoral record reflects a series of unsuccessful parliamentary bids across different constituencies. In 2005, he contested for the Makindye West parliamentary seat and lost. Two years later, he was defeated in the Kalungu East parliamentary by-election. In the 2021 general elections, he ran against Mathias Mpuuga in Nyendo-Mukungwe but was unsuccessful. His most recent attempt in the 2026 elections for the Buwekula seat also ended in defeat.
Despite the setbacks, Mbidde remains one of the country’s most experienced politicians at the regional level, having served two terms in the East African Legislative Assembly. His remarks have since sparked debate about the role of education, messaging, and voter engagement in Uganda’s electoral politics, particularly in grassroots constituencies where local dynamics often outweigh national or regional profiles.
Mbidde did not indicate whether he plans to contest future elections but said his political journey has taught him to manage expectations and understand the realities of different electoral environments.
