Mobilisation Machine! Mbarara NRM Boss Prosper Fires Up Massive Grassroots Drive For Museveni’s 2026 Bid

By Frank Kamuntu

Mbarara District National Resistance Movement (NRM) chairperson Prosper Tuhaise Kururagire has intensified grassroots mobilisation efforts aimed at consolidating support for President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni ahead of the 2026 general elections.

Mr Tuhaise says the mobilisation drive is being conducted through door-to-door engagements and parish-based structures, in line with guidance previously issued by President Museveni to party leaders across the country. The approach targets households, youth groups, women’s associations and local opinion leaders, with a focus on strengthening NRM support at the lowest levels of community organisation.

Speaking to Swift News, Mr Tuhaise said his office, working closely with NRM leaders, mobilisers and party flag bearers in Mbarara District, has registered a growing number of supporters returning to the ruling party, including some from opposition ranks.

“We are engaging people directly in their homes and at parish level. Many Ugandans, including those who previously supported the opposition, say they have renewed confidence in President Museveni’s leadership because of the stability and development achieved under his government,” Mr Tuhaise said.

He attributed the renewed momentum to sustained mobilisation and what he described as consistent messaging on the achievements of the NRM government over the past four decades, particularly in infrastructure development, peace and economic transformation.

Mr Tuhaise has also been using his personal resources to traverse several parishes in Mbarara, where he has held meetings with youth groups. During these engagements, he has urged young people to shun “protest voting” and instead participate peacefully in the electoral process.

“This country has held elections many times before. There is no justification for talking about protests even before voting takes place. That mindset shows bias and undermines confidence in democratic institutions,” he said, adding that Ugandans should trust the Electoral Commission to organise free and fair elections and ignore oppositions’ protest vote campaigns.

Beyond canvassing support for President Museveni, Mr Tuhaise says his mobilisation efforts also emphasise peace, stability and national unity, particularly among young people. He regularly urges residents to prioritise calm and cohesion as the country approaches another election cycle.

Earlier this month, President Museveni received what party leaders described as an overwhelming reception during an NRM mobilisation rally held in Mbarara. The event drew thousands of supporters from across the district and neighbouring areas, a turnout that local NRM officials credited largely to Mr Tuhaise’s coordination.

During the rally, youth groups, women’s organisations, farmers’ associations and other community clusters marched together in a show of solidarity with the ruling party. Many attendees publicly expressed support for President Museveni’s continued leadership, citing stability and ongoing development programmes in the region.

Mr Tuhaise, who has earned a reputation for building strong grassroots networks, is also credited with revitalising party structures in the district, including the construction of the NRM district office using his own resources. Party officials say his leadership has strengthened NRM visibility and organisation in much of Mbarara and the wider Ankole sub-region.

In his engagements with residents, Mr Tuhaise frequently praises President Museveni for, in his view, fostering national unity and dismantling sectarian divisions that characterised earlier political eras. He tells communities that peace and stability under the NRM have enabled social cohesion and economic activity, particularly in western Uganda.

As the 2026 elections draw closer, Mr Tuhaise says mobilisation efforts in Mbarara will continue until the final day of the campaign period. NRM leaders in the district express confidence that the sustained grassroots strategy will translate into strong electoral performance for President Museveni in the region.