In a strategic move to safeguard his votes in the forthcoming 2026 presidential elections, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has entrusted Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye, the custodian manager of his Office of the NRM National Chairman (ONC) in Kyambogo, with the crucial task of creating a formidable vote protection team.

The announcement follows a significant meeting between President Museveni and Namyalo, who also serves as Museveni’s Senior Presidential Advisor on Political Affairs. The meeting took place on July 1, 2024, at State House, Nakasero.

According to sources close to the meeting, the President assigned Namyalo the critical responsibility of preventing a repeat of the alleged vote theft that marred the 2021 elections, particularly in the Buganda region. This move is seen as a proactive step towards ensuring the success of the #JajjaTovaKuMain campaign in the 2026 elections.

“While at Kololo in March this year, President Museveni told Hadijah that the Opposition stole his votes in Kampala in the 2021 general elections. Today, he assigned her the big task of ensuring there is no more messing up with his votes. He is tired of people rigging his votes,” an anonymous source revealed.

The President has tasked Namyalo with identifying and assembling a team of vote protectors who will oversee the voting process at every polling station across Uganda in 2026. This team’s primary role will be to supervise the voting exercise, prevent vote rigging, and ensure the integrity of the declaration forms, thereby securing accurate tallying of results.

Sources within the Kyambogo office indicate that the personnel selected for this task will also be responsible for preventing any attempts to disrupt the election process or tamper with ballots.

During the meeting, President Museveni also commended Namyalo for her ongoing efforts to empower his Bazzukulu (youth supporters) through the ONC empowerment scheme. He acknowledged that these efforts complement existing government programs such as Emyooga and the Parish Development Model (PDM), aimed at lifting Ugandans out of poverty.

This development follows a series of meetings between Namyalo and President Museveni, including a closed-door session held on June 28 with regional coordinators at State House Entebbe.

2026 Election Roadmap

The Uganda Electoral Commission released the election roadmap in August last year, outlining key dates for the 2026 elections. The nomination of candidates for the presidential campaigns is scheduled to take place between October 2 and October 3, 2025. The demarcation of electoral areas will be completed by July 2024, and a general update of the National Voters’ Register is expected by January 2025.

The general elections, including the presidential and parliamentary polls, are slated to occur between January 12 and February 9, 2026.

The appointment of Namyalo to lead the vote protection team underscores the importance President Museveni places on securing a fair and transparent election process, aiming to prevent the issues encountered in previous elections and ensure the integrity of the upcoming polls.