Joyce Bagala, the Mityana Woman Member of Parliament, has confirmed her intention to contest for re-election in 2026 on the National Unity Platform (NUP) ticket, despite a history of strained relations with the party.
Sources close to the party reveal that Bagala quietly picked up NUP’s nomination forms earlier this month—a move that signals her commitment to running under the party’s banner.
Bagala’s relationship with NUP has been rocky in recent years. She has faced accusations of disregarding party directives and maintaining a close relationship with Mathias Mpuuga, the former Leader of the Opposition who fell out with the party leadership.
Her inconsistent attendance at party meetings has further fueled criticism, leading to calls for her to apologize alongside several other NUP MPs.
While she has publicly expressed a willingness to apologize, Bagala maintains that the party should clearly outline what she is being asked to apologize for.
“Apologizing is human, and I’m open to it—but the party should tell me exactly what wrong I did,” she said in a past interview.
Given the tensions, many observers expected NUP to deny her the party flag for the upcoming elections.
However, internal dynamics appear more complex. Mityana Municipality MP and senior NUP leader Francis Zaake has publicly thrown his support behind Prossy Mukisa, popularly known as Nabbosa, who is preparing to challenge Bagala either in the primaries or the general election.
Despite the internal friction, Bagala remains a strong political force in Mityana. Her supporters argue that she gives NUP the best chance of retaining the seat, especially against Judith Nabakooba of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), who is already actively mobilising with significant financial backing.
As the 2026 elections approach, NUP faces a difficult decision: reconcile with Bagala or risk losing one of its key parliamentary seats.
