By Enengo News Staff Writer.
KAMPALA – President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, is set to launch his manifesto for the 2026 to 2031 term later today at Speke Resort Munyonyo. The event is expected to draw senior party officials, government leaders, and supporters as the National Resistance Movement (NRM) takes a new step toward the 2026 general elections.
The launch is being billed as the start of a fresh campaign season, with the ruling party planning a mega rally in Luweero to kick off its drive for another victory. Party leaders say this is not just another event but a declaration of intent to guard what has been achieved over the last nearly four decades.
The new manifesto will run under the theme “Protecting the Gains as We Make a Qualitative Leap into a High Middle Income Status.” According to President Museveni, the focus remains on pulling more Ugandans into the money economy.
“About 12 years ago, only 32 percent of Ugandans were engaged in productive sectors, while 68 percent were not. By the last census, only 33 percent were still outside the money economy. My appeal is for the remaining 33 percent to join so that they too can create wealth in a modern way,” the President said during his post-nomination rally at Kololo Independence Grounds.
The manifesto outlines a tenfold growth strategy anchored on agriculture, tourism, science and technology, mineral development, and local manufacturing. The government also promises to add value to exports, strengthen industries, and push the country further toward the long-promised middle-income status.
First NRM vice chairperson Al-Hajji Moses Kigongo said the manifesto is about continuity and steady progress. “Our journey has not been easy, but through discipline, unity, and the support of Ugandans, we have reached this point. This theme is a call to protect the gains we have made together and to boldly step forward into a future of shared prosperity,” he said.
NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong described the theme as part of a long tradition. “From the ten-point programme in 1986, to Prosperity for All, Steady Progress, and most recently Securing Your Future, each manifesto has reflected the needs of its time. Uganda’s economy is now growing at about 7 percent annually with a GDP close to 45 billion dollars. The task now is to protect those gains and make the qualitative leap into a higher middle-income economy,” he explained.
As the curtains rise on the 2026 campaigns, today’s event in Munyonyo will not only be about promises for the next five years. It will also be about whether Ugandans are ready to give Museveni, already one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders, yet another chance at the helm.
About the Author
