“Come smart or Don’t come” Kampala Lord Mayor Balimwezo Tells off NUP Foot soldiers

By Meddy Walusimbi Omuyiribi / Tuesday, 28th July 2026

KAMPALA — “Imagine spending years fighting for political change, relying on young people from every walk of life to campaign for you, defend you and vote for you, only to turn around and tell them they don’t look respectable enough to enter your office.”

Veteran journalist and political analyst Mordecai Muriisa had no kind words for the Lord Mayor Balimwezo Nsubuga.

Throughout last week, social media has been filled with intensive jabs and sour words, coupled with insults hauled at the Kampala City boss Balimwezo Nsubuga following his utterances against NUP Foot soldiers and other youths that kept flocking to his office for help and connection to the many jobs in the capital city Authority and other corridors within government and in his reach.

Balimwezo was overwhelmingly voted earlier in February as the New Lord Mayor on the National Unity Platform (NUP) ticket, replacing Hajji Elias Lukwago who had served in the same position for 15 years.

Having served as Mayor for Nakawa Division and a Member of parliament for Nakawa, Balimwezo was seen as a breath of fresh air to the city. His signature hook was the story of a knockout he once narrated, which he said he used against a gun-wielding soldier who confronted him. As if that was not enough, the said knockout reportedly lifted the soldier into the air after Balimwezo swung like V8 shock absorbers with his head, dodging a bullet from the barrel of the gun, before quickly taking position to land a 10 pounds clenched fist in an uppercut that nearly left the gun-wielding soldier lifeless.

To many Ugandans, this story from Balimwezo seems like a narration from a horror or an action packed movie of John Rambo in the late 90s and has never been proven by any witnesses. True or not, his narrative caught attention of many Ghetto youths who had high hopes and truly believed that, if that’s the way he’ll be tackling the bottlenecks in Kampala, in no time, the city will be another New York right in Africa.

Balimwezo showcases his signature Knockout

From the Ghettos of Nakawa, Kinnawattaka, Kitintale to Salama, Kibuye, Ndeeba, Nalukolongo and across Kamwokya, commonly known as the Mecca of Ghetto life in Uganda, where His Excellence Bobi Wine known as The Ghetto president and currently NUP president spent most of his earlier days, the news about Balimwezo coming on scene as a savior spread like wild fire.

Indeed, he swept all votes across the city, gathering the majority votes across all the 5 divisions making up Kampala, that’s to say; Nakawa, Makindye, Lubaga, Kawempe and Kampala Central. He assumed office early in May.

Youths Pouring their weight behind Balimwezo during his Lord Mayor capaigns earlier this year

Following the Lord Mayor’s tone against NUP foot soldiers flocking his office with unkept hair, dirty clothes and sagging pants, I was caught by one tweet from a seemingly angry previous supporter, name withheld:

“I have listened carefully to what Lord Mayor Ronald Balimwezo Nsubuga said regarding National Unity Platform foot soldiers needing to be clean before approaching his office.

While he may have intended his advice constructively, his statement carries misconceptions and perceptions that need to be addressed.

By demanding that activists change before coming to his office, he creates the impression that these foot soldiers are dirty by default, from beginning to end.

That is a wrong stereotype. The NUP president himself emerged from the ghetto, consumed marijuana like many others in that environment, and subsequently reformed, evolving into an international figure, a member of parliament, and a presidential candidate.

Regardless of his background, he serves as a role model who demonstrates how behavior can shift, making it improper to overgeneralize and profile every foot soldier as perpetually lost, drunk, or unrefined.

People like Nubian Lee, who worked alongside Bobi Wine in Kamwokya as part of the Fire Base Crew, have similarly risen to become legislators and local leaders.

NUP President Kyagulanyi aka Bobie Wine in his earlier days

Transformation is possible for everyone, and many of these individuals are far cleaner in conduct than assumed.”

This carried a very strong message. I’m optimistic that the Lord Mayor will get chance to have a look at it, perhaps his tone may change.

Balimwezo has struggled to clear the air, he has spent a bigger part of his recent interviews parading a number of youths like cat City whom he has revived and now turned into a decent man with kempt hair and decent clothes.

As someone who has lived in the ghetto for a part of my life, it takes a real time experience for one to understand why many youths and people in Ghettos behave the way they do or live the kind of life they live.

As a matter of fact, Ghettos like Kamwokya among others are a composition of many youths with shattered dreams, living on drugs and alcohol as the order of their days. Many come from broken families, which renders them vulnerable and others are introduced to drugs as early as 10 years. No wonder, many hardly complete their primary education.

It’s unfair to judge them by how they appear, with unkept or long hair, torn and dirty clothes. Perhaps, it’s life that has conditioned them to such a living. Languishing in poverty and scrambling to have what to eat through every day of their lives. Indeed, if one struggles to live, expecting them to look smart is raising the standards so high for them.

Let’s give them chance. We should acknowledge the fact that, many of these youths would become productive members of society, but have been misguided into drugs and conditioned to an undesirable way of life.

I would rather urge the Lord Mayor to go easy on them. It’s society, background and an unhealthy environment in which they grew from, that has conditioned them to such a life. They had high hopes in you, and truly believed you could make a difference to their lives. Share the little you have with them so that they can afford the simple clothes and basics of life, guide them on how to appear in public especially when looking for jobs.

It is easy to learn for General Museveni, the bush war veteran. During the war he didn’t mind whether his foot soldiers had combat or where moving half naked, as long as they remained on mission and had food, water and guns. Dressing is minor to the mission we have.
True leaders fight to fix the societies that were broken. It is less than a year in office and too early for him to get tired of grooming his own, that’s what leadership comes with.

By Meddy Walusimbi Omuyiribi (medywalusimbi@gmail.com)