Eng. Steven Kaweesi has retained his seat as LC1 chairperson of Katooke Zone in Nabweru Division, Nansana Municipality, following local council elections held two days ago, preserving what he says is his long-term ambition of becoming a member of Parliament.
Kaweesi, a former National Unity Platform (NUP) member, won re-election on the National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket after leaving the opposition party ahead of the 2026 general election.
He had sought the NUP flag to contest for the Nansana Municipality parliamentary seat but later ran as an independent after the party endorsed another candidate. He lost the parliamentary race to NUP's Alazio Zambari Mukasa.
Following that defeat, Kaweesi publicly expressed disappointment, saying his lifelong dream was to serve in Parliament.
"It is my dream to go to Parliament. Even if they took away all my salary, as long as I am in Parliament, I would be satisfied," he said during a television interview after the parliamentary election.
Kaweesi also alleged that he invested about UGX 600 million in NUP activities but was denied the party's endorsement. He said he sold property, including land, to finance his political activities.
"I worked for my money. I did not steal it," he said.
NUP has not publicly responded to those allegations.
After leaving NUP, Kaweesi joined the ruling NRM, which endorsed him for the Katooke Zone LC1 chairperson race.
Speaking after his victory, Kaweesi thanked residents of Katooke and the NRM leadership for supporting his campaign.
He said retaining the LC1 seat was crucial to his political future.
"If I had lost this election, I would never have contested again," he said.
Kaweesi said he intends to use his second term, which runs from 2026 to 2031, to strengthen public confidence in his leadership before making another bid for Parliament in the next general election.
He also rejected claims that he sought re-election as LC1 chairperson only after losing the parliamentary contest.
"I have been chairperson since 2018, and I was still serving in that position when I contested for Parliament in 2026. I am seeking to retain the office, not because I lost the parliamentary seat, but because I want to continue serving the people," he said.
Kaweesi also claimed that NUP campaigned against his LC1 bid because a defeat would have weakened his prospects of contesting for Parliament again in 2031. The party has not commented on the claim.
Whether Kaweesi can translate his renewed local mandate into a successful parliamentary bid remains uncertain. NUP continues to command significant political support in central Uganda, where competition between the opposition and the ruling NRM remains strong.