Museveni takes vote hunt to Budaka, Kibuku as residents seek poverty cure

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President Yoweri Museveni is Thursday, November 13, 2025, taking his vote hunt to the districts of Budaka and Kibuku as he seeks another five-year term in the 2026 General Election.

Museveni, who is the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party chairperson and Presidential candidate, is campaigning under the theme: “Protecting the Gains, Making a Qualitative Leap into High Middle-Income Status.”

The theme focuses on safeguarding achievements over the past 39 years, such as peace and development, while aiming to propel Uganda to high middle-income status.

Other gains include wealth creation initiatives, job opportunities, service delivery, market access, as well as unity and political stability. 

Budaka has a population of 281,537 people scattered across the 20 sub-counties/town councils, 76 parishes and 323 villages.

However, despite efforts by the civil and political administrators to overcome these challenges and secure prosperity for their people, voters added that abject poverty still haunts many households. According to voters in both districts, for the Government to address poverty, it must, among other interventions, deal with the problem of food insecurity, which they said looms large in Bukedi sub-region.

According to the authorities, nearly 67% of households face severe food insecurity due to poverty, unreliable rainfall and effects of climate change. This, they claim, is exacerbated by glaring critical gaps in social services such as water, health, education and an inadequate and appalling road infrastructure network.

In the 2021 general election, Budaka had 100,900 registered voters. Out of these, 63,330 (62.8%) voted.

Museveni polled 33,261 (52.5%) while his main rival, Robert Kyagulanyi of the National Unity Platform (NUP) party, garnered 27,281 (43.1%).

Budaka now has a total of 127,429 voters, with 302 polling stations, up from 190 in 2021.

In Kibuku, there are 22 sub-counties/town councils, 92 parishes and 405 villages inhabited by 249,441 people, according to the 2024 census report.

In the 2021 general election, Kibuku had 91,971 registered voters. Out of these, 60,660 (66%) voted.

Museveni polled 34,078 (52.5%) while Kyagulanyi got 23,624 (39.9%).  Kibuku now has a total of 126,144 voters with 298 polling stations, up from 194 in 2021.

By the time of writing this story, Museveni was set to hold his first campaign rally of the day at Saaza grounds in Budaka and the second and final political event at Kibuku Primary School playground in Kibuku.