The National Resistance Movement (NRM) National Chairman and President of Uganda, H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, has officially launched the NRM Manifesto for 2026–2031, pledging to protect the Movement’s hard-earned gains while accelerating Uganda’s journey to high middle–income status.
Speaking at the colourful launch, attended by ministers, Members of Parliament, senior party leaders, and thousands of supporters, President Museveni said the manifesto represents the NRM’s commitment to peace, prosperity, and transformation.
“This manifesto is not just a piece of paper. It is the story of the Movement and Uganda for the last sixty years. It is a guide for the next step of our journey,” Museveni told cheering supporters.
Seven Key Pillars for Uganda’s Transformation
President Museveni outlined seven priority areas that will shape the government’s program over the next five years, framed under his ABCDE approach for clarity:
Peace and Security: “Our army is strong; nobody can bring war here. If they try, we shall finish them,” he said, vowing to maintain national stability while tackling crime and corruption.
Infrastructure Development: He pledged to expand roads, electricity, railways, airports, schools, and hospitals as the backbone of socio-economic growth.
Wealth Creation: Museveni urged households to move from subsistence to commercial production, citing examples like Joseph Ijala, who transformed from a taxi conductor to a millionaire farmer earning over UGX 1 billion annually.
Job Creation: “Public service employs 480,000 people, but factories employ 1.2 million. Agriculture can employ even more,” he said, pointing to the role of production and industry in creating jobs.
Service Delivery: The President promised stronger health, education, and security services to meet the needs of a growing population.
Market Access: He stressed the importance of regional and continental integration, noting, “The people who help me most are those who buy my milk, my beef, my bananas. That is why we emphasise East African integration.”
Unity and Political Stability: Museveni urged Ugandans to reject tribalism, calling it “the language of the enemies of Africa” and instead focusing on prosperity and national cohesion.
The manifesto, themed “Protecting the Gains and Ensuring a Qualitative Leap into High Middle–Income Status”, ties all these pillars together.
“Peace leads to development, development leads to wealth, wealth creates jobs, jobs require services, and all these need markets. It is one chain,” the President explained.
Other NRM Leaders Speak Out
Al-Hajji Moses Kigongo, NRM’s First National Vice Chairperson, called for teamwork and discipline as campaigns begin.
“Our grassroots structures know the people; they know the areas. Let us use them effectively and remain disciplined as we campaign,” Kigongo said.
Rt. Hon. Annet Anita Among, the Second National Vice Chairperson (Female), described the manifesto as evidence of the NRM’s ideological clarity.
“As we embark on campaigns, I urge you all to acquaint yourselves with the major focus of the party in the next Kisanja and preach the gospel of protecting the gains,” she said, highlighting achievements in agro-industrialisation, healthcare, education, and financial inclusion.
Rt. Hon. Richard Todwong, NRM Secretary General, celebrated Uganda’s economic and social progress under the Movement’s leadership.
“Our economy has doubled despite global shocks. Poverty has fallen from 21.4% in 2016 to 16.1% in 2025, while subsistence households have reduced from 68.9% to 33.1%. Life expectancy has risen from 45 years in 1986 to 68 years today,” Todwong noted.
He emphasised the need to add value to agriculture and minerals, resolve land use challenges, and ensure every household joins the money economy.
“Each manifesto builds on the last, protecting the gains and making a qualitative leap. Now, we must focus on wealth creation for the remaining 33% still in subsistence farming,” Todwong said.
The launch ended with renewed calls for unity, discipline, and a shared commitment to building a peaceful, industrialised, and prosperous Uganda.
