By Sadique Bamwita
Luuka
The ex- Minister for Presidency as well as the incumbent Woman Legislator for Luuka district, Hon. Esther Mbulakubuza Mbayo, seems to have lost grassroot support from her NRM party after she was heavily defeated in the just concluded NRM Local elections.
On May 6, 2025, Hon. Mbayo lost in the Lambala Village NRM LC1 structural leadership elections in Luuka District to Justine Muwaga, who beat her with a margin of 200 votes for the position of Women’s League Chairperson.
Hon. Esther Mbayo who is believed to have political influence and connections, failed to secure even a single slot in the party’s leadership structure and instead her competitor an ordinary local in Lambala village, Justine Muwaga, aka Panado outclassed her in the village polls.
Political pundits attribute Mbayo’s loss to the alleged detachment from the grassroot electors in addition to failing to fullfil her promises in the 2021 parliamentary polls.
Following her heavy defeat in NRM village elections, it’s now clear evidence that she has an uphill task to retain her seat. Though of recent she has intensified efforts to regain her grassroot support , her popularity has drastically dwindled which culminated into her heavy defeat.
The results of Lambala NRM village polls has raised serious questions about Hon. Mbayo’s future in politics.
As Mbayo’s political future hangs on a thin thread, the question remains whether she can bounce back from this shocking defeat or will her influence continue to decline.
