By Aggrey Baba
The 2026 presidential campaigns officially begin today, September29th, setting the stage for a heated contest between eight candidates cleared by the Electoral Commission (EC), last week. With the schedule harmonised to avoid clashes, each contender is choosing their first steps carefully, because in politics, where you begin often portrays what you intend to say.
Candidate Yoweri Museveni (also incumbent) will first unveil his manifesto at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala before travelling to Luwero, the cradle of his 1981 guerrilla struggle. The forests and valleys of Luwero once sheltered his young fighters, and returning there to launch his first rally is no coincidence.
Observers say the ruling party seeks to rekindle memories of sacrifice and liberation at a time when cracks are appearing in what used to be a loyal base. In the 2021 elections, Museveni’s dominance faltered, with his vote share in Kiboga dipping below 50%, while Robert Kyagulanyi’s NUP swept Luwero with a commanding 70%. By returning to the “Mecca of the yellow camp,” Museveni is not only reliving history but also trying to mend fences with a region where political loyalties have grown restless.
Kyagulanyi, on the other hand, is setting his compass eastwards, with his maiden rally taking place in Jinja, followed by Buyende, Kaliro and Luuka. Busoga is not a random choice either; it is a stage he has been preparing for since his 2018 triumph in Bugiri Municipality, in a by-election, where his ally Asuman Basalirwa defeated candidates like FDC’s Eunice Namatende, and Francis Okecho of the NRM, backed by both Museveni and Dr. Kizza Besigye, writing his name on tje walls of political fame. This marked Kyagulanyi as more than a newcomer, showing he could outshine Uganda’s most seasoned politicians on their own turf.
Today, Busoga remains fertile ground for his message, especially after recent political storms. The ouster of Rebecca Kadaga from the NRM’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) in favour of Speaker Anita Among was seen by many Basoga as a betrayal. At her homecoming, NUP figures were quick to embrace Kadaga, framing her defeat as part of a wider marginalisation of the region.
Kyagulanyi has since extended an olive branch, telling Kadaga she would be valued more in NUP, a symbolic gesture aimed at capturing the mood of a region that feels spurned.
Museveni returns to Luwero to guard the roots of his legacy, while Kyagulanyi moves into Busoga to water the shoots of his rising influence. One evokes memory, as the other promises change. Between the liberation hills of Luwero and the riverlands of Busoga, Uganda’s political story is being retold as a tale of past sacrifices and future possibilities.
Other candidates are also stepping onto the trail, though with less symbolic weight. Mugisha Muntu postponed his Kampala manifesto launch to avoid clashing with Museveni, rescheduling for tomorrow in Kawempe. Nandala Mafabi begins in Buikwe, Mubarak Munyagwa in Kawempe before heading east, while Joseph Mabirizi takes Rubaga as his starting point. Robert Kasibante is launching from Mityana, and Frank Bulira Kabinga will honour the late Dr. Aggrey Kiyingi in Wakiso before proceeding to Bugiri and Luuka.
The EC has mapped out the journey ahead, saying campaigns will run until January 12, 2026, with voting scheduled between January 12 and February 9. Each candidate’s trail is not only a logistical plan but also a political statement, where they go, and how they begin, says as much as the speeches they will deliver.
