By Aggrey Baba
On Day 1 of the presidential nominations for Uganda’s 2026 general elections, the names of H.E Yoweri Museveni (NRM), Robert Kasibante (NPP), and Joseph Mabirizi (CP) were officially gazetted as candidates, setting the tone for what is expected to be a fiercely contested race.
The final nominations will be held on Wednesday, with more aspirants expected to step forward ahead of campaigns beginning on 29 September 2025 once their campaign programmes have been harmonised with the Electoral Commission.
Museveni who’s also the incumbent used his nomination speech at Kololo, to frame his leadership as steady and essential for stability, warning against political division and calling on all Ugandans to support peace, development, and trust in institutions. He reflected on his past achievements, including infrastructure, peace, and national cohesion, and urged citizens to give him another term to build on those gains.
While addressing his supporters, Museveni also called for unity within the NRM party and emphasized that Uganda cannot afford chaos or instability amid rising global and regional challenges.
Meanwhile, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine), leader of the National Unity Platform (NUP), via his X (formally tweeter) account claimed that the Museveni and the NRM are operating under a system resembling apartheid, where different rules are for party loyalists and another set for the rest of citizens.
The NUP leader pointed out that while the EC, NRM leadership, and security agencies have loudly declared that processions are forbidden, NRM supporters held processions today anyway. He urged that citizens celebrating other nominations, especially his own, scheduled for tomorrow at 2:00pm, after which he will proceed to Natete where he will address his supporters from, should be protected and not brutalised by the Police and Army.
Also nominated today, Robert Kasibante and Joseph Mabirizi met the Electoral Commission’s requirements for filing their nomination papers, including document verification and payment of the nomination fee, despite earlier difficulties. EC Chairperson, Simon Byabakama, confirmed their nomination was valid.
First Lady Janet Museveni, also Minister of education added her voice post-nomination, at Kololo Independence Grounds, calling on Ugandans to preserve what she called the “achievements of the government” and participate in nation-building. She cited successes in economic programmes such as wealth creation and the Parish Development Model (PDM) as evidence that the government remains focused on delivering for the people.
To many, the proceedings underscore two emerging themes, that Museveni is seeking to cast himself as the guarantor of national stability and institutional continuity, and two, that opposition leaders will likely lean heavily into claims of double standards, especially around freedom of assembly, nomination fairness, and security agency conduct. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
