Nansana Municipality MP Zambaali Bulaasio Mukasa says becoming a Member of Parliament has not made him abandon emceeing concerts and attending public events, arguing that staying close to ordinary Ugandans remains central to his role as a representative.
The lawmaker believes his work as an emcee and his responsibilities in Parliament share a common purpose: serving people and understanding their concerns. For Zambaali, holding political office should not mean withdrawing from the public spaces where he built relationships with voters.
“When you’re the area MP, that means you’re a people’s servant, just like being an emcee at an event,” he explained.
Zambaali acknowledged that being an MP gives him an additional platform to raise issues affecting his constituents. He said he can take their concerns to Parliament and participate in debates on matters affecting the country.
“The only advantage I have is that I can take my voice to the floor of Parliament and argue on some national issues. But when you hide away from people, you can’t get to know the issues affecting them,” he said.
His argument is that representation requires more than speaking in Parliament. By remaining accessible and interacting with people in their everyday environments, he believes he can better understand the challenges they face and bring those concerns to the legislative floor.
Zambaali also stressed that voters want him to retain the personality that made him approachable before his election. In his view, the title of Honourable Member of Parliament should not create distance between him and the people he represents.
“When you finally become a Honourable Member of Parliament, you don’t go to Mars. You stay in Uganda,” he said.
He added that his constituents expect him to remain the same person they elected, someone who is available for conversations rather than becoming difficult to reach after assuming office.
“On the Honourable thing, my voters want me to remain the Zambaali they voted for. Once I change from that, they will dislike me and become annoyed. They want the old version of Zambali, who is accessible and free to hold conversations with them at any time,” he explained.
The MP also pointed to the economic and social difficulties affecting Ugandans, saying that experiencing everyday struggles helps him relate to the people whose interests he is expected to represent.
“People love someone who resembles them, mirrors their lives and understands their challenges. They also see me struggling just like they do because Uganda is not that good, and there are many issues that make us all cry,” Zambaali said.
His remarks offer a glimpse into how he views his public role: parliamentary responsibilities on one side, and maintaining direct contact with constituents on the other. For Zambaali, stepping onto an event stage to entertain a crowd does not necessarily conflict with serving in Parliament.
Instead, he argues that remaining visible and approachable is part of being the representative his voters chose.