In the increasingly spirited political atmosphere of Nakawa West, Uganda’s capital constituency, Herbert Anderson Burora, the NRM flagbearer and former RCC of Rubaga Division, has broken his silence, issuing a pointed but composed response to ongoing public criticisms from veteran politician Francis Babu.
Speaking out on Sunday, Burora made it clear that his silence until now was not out of guilt or timidity, but rather a mark of respect, particularly for Rt. Hon. Margaret Nantongo Zziwa (Babu’s wife), a prominent stateswoman and former Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly.
Burora won the NRM flagbearer for Nakawa West Constituency, with 3,075 votes, representing 51% while his closest rival Zziwa garnered 1,972 votes (33%). Others including Ivan Kabeedha, Herbert Ssenyonjo, and Mukesh Shukla trailed with 496, 312, and 108 votes respectively.
“Mr. Babu, it is unfortunate that you have taken my meekness for weakness. It’s absurd that you misunderstood my silence for guilt,” Burora stated in a public communication via his X official account formerly twitter. “Silence is also a strong shield of defense.”
The tone, while firm, remained rooted in a call for political maturity and unity. Burora expressed disappointment over what he described as a pattern of “media belittlement” and “personal insults” directed at him during and after the campaign period.
Beyond personal grievances, Burora voiced concern over what he sees as a troubling tendency to invoke President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s name for political scapegoating.
“Any attack on the Chairman of the National Resistance Movement and President of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, to justify your selfishness is something we shall not allow,” Burora said.
In a region where politics often spills into the personal, Burora struck a note that blended political strategy with statesmanship. He emphasized that his team’s decision to pursue a path of reconciliation, unity, and tenacity was deliberate, a conscious choice to focus on development rather than political bickering.
The NRM flagbearer made it clear that while he has long avoided direct confrontation, that posture should not be mistaken for retreat.
“We chose unknown paths and avoided unnecessary fights and insults,” he said, urging his political rivals to “find something unifying of value to replace [their] bag of insults.”
The statement comes at a time when Uganda’s political landscape, much like those across many emerging democracies, is being shaped not just by ballot outcomes but by the personalities and values of those vying for leadership.
Burora concluded by assuring constituents in Nakawa West that he remains focused on addressing their challenges through “the right authorities,” even as political heat continues to rise in Kampala’s corridors of power.
