President Museveni, also the chairman of Uganda’s ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), recently inaugurated the update of the party’s voters’ register, hinting strongly at his bid for a seventh term in the forthcoming 2026 elections.
During the launch, the president reaffirmed his party membership and ceremoniously signed the dummy register to signify the commencement of the exercise. The NRM aims to augment its 11 million-strong membership with additional recruits, with the registration drive set to kick off this week.
“NRM is a party that came with a principle of understanding people’s needs, which have got a potential solution, but it has not been identified or, if identified, implemented,” he said after the launch.
This significant move by the president is widely interpreted as the official commencement of his campaign for a seventh term, effectively dispelling speculations regarding his candidacy or potential support for his son, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, for the presidency.
Addressing party leaders, district chairpersons, and registrars, senior presidential adviser on political affairs, Hajat Hadijah Namyalo, urged unwavering support for President Museveni’s reelection bid.
“As a party, we are committed to make sure that you continue with your legacy and good deeds and we pledge before everybody that the party is still asking for your goodwill to offer yourself in 2026,” she said.
Additionally, the NRM Electoral Commission chairman, Dr Tanga Odoi, affirmed that President Museveni would be the sole NRM flag-bearer for the 2026 election, putting an end to any doubts or speculations surrounding the party’s candidate.
NRM Secretary-General Richard Todwong echoed this sentiment, pledging the party’s continued support for President Museveni’s leadership and expressing a collective desire for him to offer himself for reelection in 2026.
Meanwhile, amidst the opposition, there appears to be no clear contender. Dr Kizza Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate and former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) President, is currently engaging in grassroots consultations regarding the formation of a new political party.
This decision follows internal strife within the FDC, which split into factions amid allegations of receiving financial incentives from President Museveni during the 2021 elections.
In the National Unity Platform (NUP), internal conflicts are intensifying, with party leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, seeking the removal of Mathias Mpuuga, the former leader of opposition in Parliament and the party’s deputy president for the Buganda region, from his parliamentary position.
He says Mathias Mpuuga, who received Ush500 million ($128,635) of the Ush1.7 billion ($437,360) shared out among five commissioners, including Speaker Anita Among, as a “service award,” should resign from the commission, for allowing to partake in the abuse of office, misuse of public funds and blatant wastage of public funds.
Kyagulanyi, as the leader of the party with the majority of opposition members in parliament appointed the leader of the opposition and recently replaced Mr Mpuuga with Joel Ssenyonyi, in what political observers termed as the culmination of a protracted conflict between the two leaders. Mr Kyagulanyi says Mpuuga had been called to explain the sharing of money at Parliament and that he regretted the actions, apologised, and promised to consult before stepping down.
“We all know that a matter involving huge sums of money, which is not legislated but a matter of negotiation normally involves give and take. The people of Uganda would love to know what Mpuuga gave in exchange for this big favour,” Kyagulanyi said.
But Mr Mpuuga did not come back to explain and rejected the call to resign. While appearing on a radio talk show last Saturday, he said he has no regrets for getting the money and won’t resign.
He accused Kyagulanyi of dictatorial tendencies and wondered how he would conduct himself if he got state power; where he could access guns, power, and authority. He described the NUP boss as an inexperienced leader, scared of his popularity and experience and sees him as a threat.
“The campaign to assassinate my character is deliberate. It’s well-orchestrated and well-funded. I am ready for the worst, if it takes this sacrifice to return sanity and common sense to our politics,” Mpuuga said. “I decline the cowardly call on me to resign as a parliamentary Commissioner, based on spite, and deliberate misrepresentation for mischievous reasons.”
President Museveni remains poised despite the ensuing turmoil within opposition ranks, avoiding involvement in factional disputes and accusations. With political parties grappling with internal strife or silenced voices, the 2026 elections present an opportune moment for President Museveni to secure a resounding victory.
