By Mulengera Reporters
Even when he is certain that he will be declared winner of 2026 elections (whether majority Ugandans like it or not), Gen Museveni isn’t taking chances. He has identified people to spearhead his re-election and generously facilitated each one of them to handle specific tasks.
WHO’S DOING WHAT?
The biggest beneficiary of the 2026 re-election facilitation budget is NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong. The man from Nwoya in Acholi sub region got Museveni to accept that there was need to facilitate and empower the Kyadondo Road-based party headquarters like never before.
His argument was that the use of informal structures during campaign time was demoralizing party cadres, making them to feel alienated and unwanted. Museveni was told that being left out in favour of imposing mobile taskforces headed by people who don’t hail from those areas, was making NRM cadres to feel deflated to the extent of lacking morale to take on young detractors from NUP.
That many of them coiled in 2021 simply because they wanted to demonstrate and prove to Museveni that those things of sending people from Kampala can’t deliver for him victory. This is why this year’s campaign is themed on empowering the party structures to deliver candidate Museveni back to State House.
Even Hadijah Namyalo of ONC, renowned for her vibe and for commanding a network of coordinators, has been pushed to work under the supervision of Richard Todwong and other party bureaucrats based at Kyadondo.
Even when he has been pushed into a tight corner on the need to empower structures, Gen Museveni realizes that Kyadondo alone can’t deliver him back. That’s the reason why he has insisted on deploying other parallel efforts all aimed and consolidating on whatever Kyadondo will be doing.
Moses Byaruhanga is back and has been empowered like never before. He, for instance, had the last word on the wording and theming of Gen Museveni’s Manifesto 2026-2031. He is now overseeing large teams of coordinators and he is currently officed somewhere at Kololo where he has his command centre.
He brings on board experience and the sophistication that has lately been lacking in the President’s things. He also knows a lot of people and has a countrywide network which links up directly with game-changing actors in every corner and region of Uganda. He is also directly coordinating with many NRM flag bearers.
He is one talented mobilizer capable of getting on well with the elites and ordinary persons alike. He has been part of Museveni re-election efforts before including in 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2016 when the Besigye wave was at its strongest. It’s only in 2021, which largely was a scientific vote in order to comply with COVID19 restrictions, that Moses Byaruhanga didn’t play very conspicuous role in his mentor Museveni’s re-election.
Officially, he is the man Museveni has designated to be his agent and official representative in all EC-related engagements and he is closely working with first son-in-law Edwin Karugire who has been empowered to have the last word on all legal matters.
Others include Moses Kigongo (empowered to reconcile feuding party cadres and cause them to find common ground), Dr. Specioza Kazibwe who has been facilitated to do a lot of work in rural Busoga, Rebecca Kadaga (to be facilitated to re-energize her base in Busoga), PPU head Sandor Walusimbi, Commissioner Hellen Aseku of the patriotism clubs and Gen Proscovia Nalweyiso (who is continuing to handle classified expenditure and facilitating special campaigners like Col Samson Mande, Chris Rwakasisi etc).
There is also Deputy Press Secretary Faruk Kirunda who is doing a lot of clandestine political mobilisation aimed at re-energizing the President’s support among hitherto ignored but influential groups.
Others are tycoon Med Sebaggala’s wife Mariam Namayanja who is doing a lot of clandestine mobilization in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area districts of Kampala, Mukono, Wakiso, Mityana, Luwero and Greater Mpigi.
She is also an old friend of the NUP Deputy Secretary General Aisha Kabanda. Gloria Omaswa is also doing some campaign-related coordination besides her core mandate of being the Principal Private Secretary (PPS) to the President.
The Speaker of Parliament Anita Among is also helping on ensuring that Elgon, Teso and Bukedi sub regions remain firmly Museveni’s besides amplifying all other groups’ efforts aimed at wrestling Busoga sub region away from Robert Kyagulanyi back to the big man from Rwakitura.
She is also leveraging her position of being Speaker of Parliament to help Mzee pacify trouble-causing groups like trade unions like medics, local government workers and teachers whose recurrent strikes have the effect of discrediting the NRM government while emboldening its opponents.
Attorney General Kiwanuka Kiryowa is the other key actor in Museveni’s re-election orbit who is moving mountains and influencing many big things without necessarily being anywhere in the formal NRM structure that follows under Secretary General Richard Todwong. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
