By close of the 2026 general elections, the opposition National Unity Platform party had spread its wings across Busoga sub region where they enjoy mass support from the public. The wave saw the Kavule based establishment sweep at least 8 parliamentary seats despite a mass rigging machinery by the ruling NRM party.
Amongst the senior lawmakers that NUP has got in Busoga is the Kigulu South Member of Parliament elect, Andrew Kiiza Kaluya who has been serving the party’s National Executive Committee as the Secretary for Mobilization in Easter Uganda, a position he meritoriously got on merit having replaced the unpopular Moses Bigirwa.
Kaluya, a social worker by profession and an entrepreneur is a born of February 8, 1978 from Iganga, to hard working rural Busoga parents who endured a span of difficulties to sustain him in school. The Busoga sub region is known to be a haven of abject poverty, mass unemployment and high school dropout rates plus early teenage pregnancies on top of child labor that sees school going children abandon classes to keep in the sugar cane fields. Kaluya beat all these odds to keep in school and graduate as a social worker.
The bold politician was first elected in 2016 under the NRM party and fell out with his superiors for dissenting during the contentious 2017 age limit debate that saw him align with the opposition to vote against the life presidency of Yoweri Museveni. Due to his dissenting views, Kaluya was severely punished on the orders of Gen. Museveni and he lost the 2021 NRM party primaries and the general elections.
Sources have it that he won the polls but his victory was overturned by the District Returning Officer at gunpoint and on the orders from above. In that tenth parliament, Hon. Kaluya served on the agriculture committee and the committee on HIV and AIDs.
Kaluya joins NUP
In the year 2023, Hon. Kaluya was wooed by Kavule and overwhelmingly supported to be on the NUP NEC as a Secretary for Mobilization in charge of Eastern Uganda, and his workaholic approach saw him deliver at least 8 resounding Busoga MP slots at a time when the party is striving to paint a national picture. Kaluya’s hardwork blinded several NUP supporters, some of whom thought he has outshined the Deputy for Eastern Uganda Hon. John Baptist Nambeshe.
Why Kaluya suits the Commission seat
The Busoga factor and the need to decentralize are primary concerns that Kavule has to address while sharing its cake. By the mere fact that Buganda has the office of the Leader of the Opposition under the NUP selection, it will be appropriate that they offer the Parliamentary Commission seat to Busoga.
As it stands, majority Busoga MPs are new entrants and now the contest is left between Paul Mwiru and Andre Kiiza Kaluya but the seniority of the latter and his parliamentary experience position him with an upper hand at the epitome.
