In Uganda’s unpredictable political theatre, few figures have moved as quietly and as strategically as Daudi Kabanda. To some, he is a loyal cadre of the ruling establishment, a disciplined mobiliser who climbed through the National Resistance Movement system with patience and calculation. To others, he is the ultimate insider: a man who understood power from the inside, learned its secrets, and eventually became one of the architects of a political downfall that shook the corridors of Parliament.
His recent role in the dramatic collapse of support for Anita Among during the 2026 speakership race transformed Kabanda from a relatively low-profile legislator into one of the most talked-about political operatives in Uganda.Many now describe him as the “enemy within” — the man who once stood beside Among but later delivered the message that effectively sealed her political isolation.
Humble beginnings and early life
Daudi Kabanda hails from Kasambya County in Mubende District, central Uganda, a largely rural area known for peasant farming and modest economic activity. Like many politicians from Uganda’s countryside, Kabanda’s story is rooted in struggle, discipline, and grassroots mobilisation.
Though detailed public records about his childhood remain limited, political observers describe him as a man shaped by rural realities the type of politician who built influence through personal relationships rather than flamboyance. Unlike the urban elite who dominate Uganda’s upper political class, Kabanda cultivated the image of a mobiliser who understood ordinary voters.
His education journey followed the traditional Ugandan path of local schooling before advancing into higher education and political organisation. Over the years, he emerged as a sharp political communicator, a skill that would later become central to his rise within ruling circles. Long before national headlines began carrying his name, Kabanda was already building networks inside the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) machinery and among younger pro-establishment actors aligned to the emerging influence of Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Entry into politics
Kabanda’s political rise accelerated when he won the Kasambya County parliamentary seat. In Parliament, he quickly developed a reputation as an aggressive defender of the establishment and an outspoken mobiliser.
Unlike older politicians who relied on caution and silence, Kabanda embraced media politics. He understood television, social media, and the power of political messaging. That made him useful to powerful figures who needed loyal communicators capable of shaping narratives in an increasingly digital Uganda. It was during this period that his relationship with Anita Among deepened.
At the height of Among’s growing power as Deputy Speaker and later Speaker of Parliament, Kabanda became one of the politicians closest to her political orbit. Political insiders often described him as both an envoy and a trusted operative someone who could communicate sensitive political positions while maintaining loyalty to the Speaker’s camp.
Over time, Kabanda became associated with Among’s media and political strategy machinery. He defended her publicly, amplified her positions, and helped consolidate support networks around her leadership. To many observers, he appeared inseparable from the powerful Speaker.
The Anita Among years
When Anita Among rose to become Speaker in 2022 following the death of Jacob Oulanyah, she rapidly transformed into one of the most powerful individuals in Uganda’s political system.
She cultivated an image of authority, wealth, and confidence. Her influence inside Parliament grew rapidly, but so did criticism surrounding corruption allegations, lavish spending, and increasing tensions within the ruling establishment. During this period, Daudi Kabanda remained visibly loyal.
He defended the Speaker against critics and was widely viewed as part of the political inner circle around her office. Some political commentators even described him as one of the trusted political foot soldiers who helped maintain her influence within Parliament and among pro-government structures. Yet Ugandan politics is rarely built on permanent friendships.
Power changes alliances quickly.
As Anita Among’s political troubles deepened including international sanctions and mounting criticism over alleged excesses cracks began emerging within her support network.At the same time, Kabanda’s influence inside the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), the pressure group associated with Muhoozi Kainerugaba, was expanding rapidly.Eventually, he became Secretary General of PLU a position that placed him at the centre of one of the most explosive political reversals in recent years.
The betrayal that changed everything
The defining moment came early this month. Just weeks earlier, PLU had publicly endorsed Anita Among and Thomas Tayebwa for Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 12th Parliament. The endorsement was communicated by Daudi Kabanda himself.
Then suddenly, everything changed. In a stunning political reversal, Kabanda announced that PLU had withdrawn support for Among’s speakership bid following guidance from Muhoozi Kainerugaba. The announcement shocked Uganda’s political establishment.For many observers, the significance was not merely that support had been withdrawn. It was who delivered the message.
Kabanda was not an outsider attacking Among from opposition benches. He was a former insider. A trusted operative. A man believed to understand the inner workings of her political machinery. That is why the move felt deeply personal to many of Among’s supporters.
Critics immediately accused Kabanda of political betrayal. Supporters of PLU argued he was simply executing the strategic direction of the movement and aligning with shifting power dynamics inside the ruling establishment. Either way, the impact was devastating.Within days, Anita Among’s speakership project began collapsing under growing pressure. Eventually, she announced she would not continue with the race. For many political observers, Kabanda had delivered the decisive political blow.
The spy who loved the system
Ugandan politics has always rewarded proximity to power. But it also punishes ambition that appears too independent. That is why some commentators now portray Daudi Kabanda as a classic political survivor, a village boy from Kasambya who mastered the art of loyalty while understanding exactly when loyalty must end.His transformation from Among ally to messenger of her political isolation has fueled comparisons to a political thriller: the trusted insider who eventually becomes the executioner of the very project he once defended. Whether that image is fair or exaggerated depends on political perspective.Supporters view Kabanda as disciplined and pragmatic — a politician following institutional direction within PLU and the broader establishment.
Critics see something colder: a strategist who waited for the right moment before stepping away from a collapsing political empire.What cannot be denied is this: Daudi Kabanda is no longer a peripheral figure in Uganda’s politics. He now stands at the centre of a new generation of political operators — younger, media-savvy, deeply connected to power networks, and unafraid to play hardball politics. And in Uganda’s ever-shifting political chessboard, that may be the most dangerous position of all.
Author Profile
- Mr. Jacko David Waluluka is another unique entertainment and general investigative news writer, a field he has diligently covered for over fifteen years. He’s also the Chief Administrator at The Investigator. He can easily be reached via [email protected]
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