The Calls Have Gone Silent’: Nyanjura reflects on power loss as Deputy Lord Mayor reigns comes to end

Kampala, Uganda: Incumbent Kampala Capital City Deputy Lord Mayor Doreen Nyanjura has offered a candid reflection on political loss, isolation and the realities of power and her unsuccessful bid for the Mwenge parliamentary seat, revealing how quickly influence fades once public office slips away.

In a personal statement shared via social media days after the election, Nyanjura said phone calls, emails and invitations that once came regularly have significantly reduced, underscoring what she described as the harsh truth of Uganda’s political culture.

“The emails were not being sent to Nyanjura, the phone calls were not being made to Nyanjura. They were for the position that I am exiting in May,” she wrote, pointing to the symbolic power of office rather than the individual who holds it.

Nyanjura, a long-serving opposition politician and prominent figure at Kampala Capital City Authority, contested in the highly competitive Mwenge parliamentary elections as part of her transition from city executive leadership to national elective politics.

Mwenge, an urban constituency with a politically active electorate, has in recent years emerged as a battleground for opposition figures seeking to consolidate influence in Kampala.

Nyanjura’s campaign leaned heavily on her record at City Hall, where she served alongside Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and built a reputation for outspoken opposition politics, urban advocacy and institutional resistance.

Despite a visible campaign and name recognition, Nyanjura did not emerge victorious, bringing to an end her immediate bid for parliamentary office as her term as Deputy Lord Mayor also nears its conclusion.

In the statement, Nyanjura criticised what she termed society’s obsession with winners, regardless of how victories are achieved, while those who lose are quickly abandoned.

“Society loves walking and moving alongside winners, no matter how they won,” she observed, adding that few people pay attention to defeated candidates who are often left with campaign debts, emotional scars and an uncertain future.

She also called on civil society organisations and NGOs that routinely organise leadership training for election winners to extend similar support to those who lose.

“NGOs that organise leadership sessions for those that emerge victorious need to start putting more emphasis on training sessions for those that don’t,” she said.

Swipe at Political ‘Ambassadors’

Nyanjura further appeared to take aim at what she described as “self-appointed ambassadors” who reportedly sought comfort at State House following the elections.

“I think our self-appointed ambassadors that went to State House were looking for solace. Unfortunately for them, they went to a wrong person and to a wrong place,” she said, in remarks widely interpreted as a critique of political opportunism and post-election realignments.

Nyanjura’s experience mirrors that of many Ugandan politicians whose visibility and access rapidly diminish once electoral power wanes. Her remarks have since sparked debate within political and civil society circles about how Uganda treats electoral defeat, mental health, and political rehabilitation.

As she prepares to exit office in May, Nyanjura remains one of Kampala’s most recognisable opposition voices, though her next political steps remain unclear.