Opinion: For President Museveni To Win 2026 Elections With Over 60%, NRM Must Address Voter Apathy

By Akampa Rugaba | NRM Chairman – Kebisoni Town Council
akampabi@gmail.com

Last week, the Uganda Electoral Commission concluded nominations for presidential candidates. Out of over 190 Ugandans who had expressed interest in running for the top office, only eight candidates were successfully nominated.

This time, Ugandans will miss the entertainment factor brought by Mr. Katumba John, popularly known as Katumba Oyee, who made the 2021 campaigns lively. Perhaps Munywangwa Mubarak could fill that gap.

The real competition for NRM’s flag bearer, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa, will come from Hon. Mugisha Muntu of ANT, Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine) of NUP, and Hon. Nandala Mafabi of FDC. These candidates represent established political parties with nationwide membership and visibility.

In 2021, Robert Kyagulanyi came second to President Museveni. His NUP has since expanded its presence across the country, fielding parliamentary candidates even in the Kigezi region—districts like Rukiga, Kanungu, Kabale, and Kisoro—where NRM has traditionally enjoyed at least 85% support.

Back then, Kyagulanyi had no strong candidates in Kigezi, which partly explains his poor performance of just 38,000 votes from the entire region, compared to President Museveni’s 420,000 votes. Yet even then, voter turnout was only 65%, a sharp decline from 75% in 2016 and 72% in 2011. Clearly, voter apathy is on the rise, not only in Kigezi but nationwide.

In constituencies such as Kamuli, Rukiga, Rubanda, and Arua Municipality, Members of Parliament may even receive more votes than the NRM presidential candidate. This trend signals a worrying disconnect between local mobilization and presidential campaigns.

The problem is compounded by frustrations from poorly conducted NRM primaries. Many candidates who lost unfairly are now running as independents—or choosing not to campaign at all. Their supporters, still nursing political wounds, are disillusioned and may not vote on polling day.

Further, the Electoral Commission has maintained polling stations in distant, hard-to-reach areas, discouraging participation. Combined with the demoralization among independents and their supporters, this could suppress turnout further.

For President Museveni to secure over 60% in 2026, the campaign machinery must change tactics. NRM needs to deliberately engage the youth, women, and corporate class—segments often absent on polling day. If they remain in offices, shops, or homes instead of voting, NRM’s numbers will not reflect its actual strength.

Winning the election is not in doubt; President Museveni will triumph. But for NRM to achieve a commanding victory, we must mobilize with fresh energy, inspire voters, and rebuild confidence. Crowds at Kololo during nominations were encouraging, but elections are won at the ballot, not at rallies.

The task before us is to ignite NRM’s vast support base to turn out in overwhelming numbers. That is the surest path to crossing the 60% mark in 2026.

For God and My Country, Uganda.

Akampa Rugaba
Coordinator for H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni 2026