The recent defeat of Minister of trade, industry and Cooperatives (Industry) David Kwesiga Bahati in the Ndorwa West NRM primaries didn’t come as a surprise to many, not because his opponent, Kampala based lawyer, Eliab Naturinda Mporera, ran an extraordinary campaign, but because Bahati himself had long stopped showing up for his constituents.
For nearly two decades, Bahati held the Ndorwa West parliamentary seat with what many now describe as growing arrogance and detachment. Once a rising star who gained sympathy as a humble orphan in 2005, Bahati’s political story has morphed into a cautionary tale about power, complacency, and the danger of assuming voters owe you loyalty.
His defeat was not just a political loss, it was a rejection, a clear message from the people of Ndorwa West that broken promises, unreturned phone calls, and neglected public services will eventually catch up with any politician, no matter how high their office.
Voices from the ground speak volumes:
Alphonse Safari, LC1 chairman of Bushuro Village and a former diehard supporter, said Bahati had stopped picking calls from agents and didn’t even bother to campaign during the primaries.
“If a sitting minister can’t be bothered to campaign or listen to the very people who elevated him, then what does he stand for?”. He said.
Then there’s Bright Tukwasiibwe, who remembers Bahati’s emotional appeals in 2005, an orphan seeking a platform to serve.
“But what did the people get in return? No community-based programs, no support for orphans and widows as promised. Just another leader swept into the current of national politics, forgetting the roots that held him up”. He said.
Even basic services, clean water, electricity, decent roads, saw no real improvement under his watch. Instead, residents say things got worse. That should never happen when your representative sits in Cabinet.
Ronald Mwebesa, LC1 chairman of Mutojo Village, perhaps said it best: “He assumed money could buy votes.” Bahati’s approach in recent years has been transactional at best, arrogant at worst. Not even a thank-you call to his agents after his 2021 victory. That kind of silence echoes loudly in villages where relationships matter more than titles.
Ndorwa West voters have spoken, not just with ballots, but with a deeply personal statement: service must be felt, respect must be mutual, and no leader is irreplaceable.
Naturinda’s win may mark the beginning of a new political chapter, but more importantly, it serves as a warning to long-serving politicians everywhere: The people are watching, and they will not remain silent forever.
