The National Resistance Movement (NRM) has launched the official portrait of its presidential flagbearer, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, alongside the theme that will guide the party’s campaigns for the 2025–26 elections.
At the event, the 1st National Vice Chairman, Al-Hajji Moses Kigongo, underscored the significance of the moment, both as a renewal of the party’s mandate and a reaffirmation of the values that have carried the NRM thus far.
Unveiling the theme “Protecting the Gains as We Make a Qualitative Leap into a High Middle Income Status”, Kigongo said it captures the dual responsibility of consolidating Uganda’s hard-won progress while preparing the nation for the next phase of transformation.
“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,” Kigongo said.
He emphasised that the new campaign theme is not just a slogan but a strategic direction that reflects Uganda’s readiness to transition from stability and steady progress to a higher level of economic and social achievement.
“We must stand together as a Movement. If we remain united and disciplined, there is no challenge we cannot overcome. This is the spirit in which we ask Ugandans to renew our mandate, so that our Chairman continues leading the country to greater heights,” he added.
Kigongo also called on leaders and aspirants to embrace the party’s values of persuasion and service. “Force cannot win hearts. Convincing language, humility, and respect for the people are what will strengthen the Movement. Discipline and unity must always come first,” he said.
NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong, while contextualising the new theme, highlighted the historical progression of the Movement’s guiding messages.
From the 10-Point Programme in 1986, to “Tackling the Tasks Ahead” in the late 1990s, “Consolidating Achievements” in the early 2000s, “Prosperity for All,” “Peace, Unity and Transformation,” “Steady Progress,” and most recently “Securing Your Future,” each theme, he noted, has reflected the priorities of its time.
“Today’s theme builds on that legacy. Uganda’s economy is growing at about 7% annually, with a GDP of nearly $45 billion, placing us firmly on the path to middle income status. The task now is to protect those gains and make the qualitative leap into a higher middle-income economy,” Todwong explained.