By Alexander Luyima
A political firestorm has erupted after Makindye West MP Allan Ssewanyana launched a vicious personal attack on Nakawa East legislator Ronald Balimwezo, mocking his physical disability during a campaign rally for Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago.
The incident, which has drawn widespread condemnation, threatens to fracture the opposition’s unity and has shifted the campaign’s focus from policy to personal vitriol.
In comments that drew gasps from the crowd, Ssewanyana targeted Balimwezo, who lost a leg in a past accident, questioning his physical capacity to lead.
“How can you send a man who cannot run races and jump hurdles to a Kampala that is filled with open sewage channels?” Ssewanyana proclaimed, using the city’s infrastructure problems as a pretext for the personal jab.
He further accused Balimwezo of being aligned with President Yoweri Museveni, calling him a potential “weak link” and claiming he “cannot handle the demands of running Kampala.”
The backlash was immediate and crossed political lines. The Leader of the Opposition, Joel Ssenyonyi, led the censure, stating, “We can disagree politically, but mocking someone’s physical condition is completely out of line. That is not what we stand for as leaders.”
Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago’s campaign team swiftly distanced itself from the remarks. Abubaker Kawalya, a senior campaign official, called the comments “unfortunate and unnecessary,” emphasizing that their platform is built on “unity, service, and accountability, not mockery.”
The condemnation exploded on social media, with Deputy Lord Mayor Doreen Nyanjura calling the attack “the lowest point in our politics.”
In stark contrast to the provocation, MP Ronald Balimwezo responded with calm resolve. Dismissing the taunts as a distraction, he refocused the conversation on substance.
“Leadership is not about running or jumping; it is about ideas and service,” Balimwezo told journalists. “The people of Kampala know my record and what I stand for.”
Political analysts see the incident as a symptom of deeper turmoil within Kampala’s opposition. “Ssewanyana’s anger shows underlying frustrations, but going personal, especially mocking disability, only weakens their moral authority,” noted analyst Basajja Mivule.
Commentator Charles Rwomushana offered a starker assessment, framing the outburst as part of a “culture of ego and rivalry that is eating away at the opposition from within. Politics should be about vision, not vendetta.”
Despite the mounting pressure, Ssewanyana has remained defiant, claiming his words were taken out of context. His refusal to apologize has only intensified the crisis, leaving the opposition to grapple with internal divisions just as a critical election season approaches.
