Birungi Annet, Fiona Nakku thrash 20 contenders to join 12th parliament 

By Darlington Mabonga

Women empowerment has taken a central role in the 2026 elections calendar as more women have come out to contest with wealthy, and powerful political male gurus.

This scenario has been witnessed in the just concluded workers parliamentary elections which were held at KIbuli Secondary school 19th january 2026 were bold and determined women politicians grabbed three of the five elective slots. 

Birungi Annet a renowned staunch labor movement activist for the Nurses and midwives fraternity has been elected as one of the four new direct workers Member of Parliament after defeating 19 politicians to book herself a seat in the new 12th parliament.

Birungi while campaigning during the charged 630 member delegates conference that constitutes the electoral college ahead of the elections held at Kibuli Secondary school 19th January 2026 pledged to engage stakeholders in lobbying for legislation that strengthens the workers movement especially welfare improvement.

Birungi Annet

She garnered 358 votes which was the highest in that specific election to defeat a cocktail of 19 both male and female contenders and several contenders scored one vote in a shocking development.

Birungi who has been at the forefront of advocating for the labor rights of nurses and Midwives across the country under her Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union [UNMU] umbrella body for donkey years said she would advocate for inclusive policies not limited to the controversial wage bill which must be fair to the workers interests across board despite coming from the nurses and midwives background.  

She thanked all the stakeholder delegates for standing with her in this challenging journey of canvassing for votes among the largely wealthy and powerful political contenders which enabled her maneuver through with a resounding victory never seen before in the history of workers elections in the country.

Fiona Nakku tells her victory story

The electoral commission declared Fiona Nakku as the newly elected female workers member of parliament for the 12th parliament after defeating NRM’s Agnes Kunihira in a hotly contested election.

The youthful Nakku from Busia district garnered 290 votes to defeat Kunihira who scooped 287 votes, a shocking margin of 3 votes a development which rubbed the wrong way into Kanihira’s political camp.

Nakku,an NRM leaning independent whose campaign symbol was a table, pledged to lobby for inclusive workers’ rights, especially tackling the thorny issue of casualization of labor such that casual workers get a better and fair pay for their work output.

She thanked all her supporters including senior workers leaders like Hon. Arinaitwe Rwakajara, former NOTU chairman General Wilson Usher Owere among others for the mentorship and technical support which effectively fed into her victory over the incumbent NRM flag bearer. 

She said it was time for her opponents to join her in working for the interests of the labour movement in the country which needs to strengthen for a better tomorrow a job that can be done through extensive lobbying by stakeholders to achieve the desired goals.

Others were Arinaitwe Rwakajara, Namubiru Margret Rwabushaija and Agaba Gilbert who also got elected into the 12th August house.

They collectively thanked the voters for entrusting them with this new mandate to serve the interest of the workers movement saying they would do their best to ensure the sector gets fair value of their sweat.