By Kabuye Ronald
Businessman, Politician, Diplomat, and Senior Presidential Advisor on Trade, Philip Kakuru, is currently leading in the provisional results for the position of National Chairperson of the NRM Entrepreneurs’ League, as submitted to the Central Executive Committee (CEC).
According to preliminary tallies, Kakuru holds a strong lead in four regions, with particularly wide margins in the West Nile and Western regions. In one region, he trails the front-runner by only 10 percent.
In the Central Region, Kakuru leads with 60% of the votes, followed by Basajjabalaba and Robert Rukaari with 8% each, and Sanjay Tana with 2%.
In the Eastern Region, Sanjay Tana is ahead with 40%, while Kakuru follows with 30%, Basajjabalaba has 25%, and Rukaari 5%.
In the Northern Region, Kakuru is in the lead with 40%, Basajjabalaba has 35%, Tana 20%, and Rukaari 5%.
In the West Nile Region, Kakuru dominates with 90%, Basajjabalaba follows with 8%, and Tana holds 2%.
In the Western Region, Kakuru continues to lead with 81%, Basajjabalaba has 18%, Rukaari 8%, and Tana 1%.
Reacting to these results, Kakuru pledged to use his expected new role to drive economic transformation in Uganda.
“The Entrepreneurs’ League should serve as a think tank for government policies—a crucible where transformative ideas are developed and refined to shape the nation’s economic future,” he stated.
Kakuru emphasized that, if given the mandate, he would organize strategic summits aimed at attracting more investors to Uganda. He also praised the high voter turnout, noting it was significantly better than in the 2021 elections.
“The electorate has shown greater enthusiasm and engagement this time. Perhaps the low turnout in the last elections was due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” he remarked.
He also commended the youth who have stepped up to contest for various positions within the party, saying this demonstrates that the younger generation has been well-mentored and is now ready to take over leadership from the older generation.
With his extensive background and tested leadership, Kakuru is expected to bring a clear and actionable strategy to engage the private sector, enhance market access for SMEs, and integrate youth-led enterprises into regional and global value chains.
