Offbeat moments from Museveni’s campaign trail

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Over the course of almost three months, Umar Kashaka followed the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party presidential candidate, Yoweri Museveni, on the campaign trail. He witnessed his efforts to win over the country and retain his seat. 

Below, he shares his experience and offbeat moments. 

We started in early October, when New Vision deployed us into the field as part of its 2026 general election coverage. My new standard campaign uniform became jeans, T-shirts, sneakers and moccasins, and my days were always different depending on which district we were in or where President Yoweri Museveni was going to hold his rallies. 

I would usually wake up at 5:30am and the first thing I would do was check my phone or emails for any updates or last-minute details on assignments given to me, which always included the region’s campaign wrap-up for the weekend paper. I would also scroll through X, formerly Twitter, before getting ready to cover Museveni’s two campaign rallies of the day in two different districts with upcountry reporters. The first task of the morning, before heading to the campaign rally, would be to file an online story about the candidate’s day programme. This was before having breakfast — and that was if I had everything under control. 

There were some days when something sprang up early in the morning, and my whole plan for the day would change in a second. Some days I would eat breakfast, and other days I would not. You would also have to figure out when you will have lunch or if you will have it, but with two daily campaign events, it was vital to eat whenever possible. If there is one thing I have learnt in these months of following the President around the country, it’s how to roll with the punches and keep moving. 

There is no time to pause or to dwell on stuff because every minute counts. After having breakfast, I would hand in my hotel room key when checking out and connect with the photographer and driver to hit the road in our company’s double-cabin pick-up truck for the first event of the day. And whenever we would arrive at the campaign event, we would walk through the metal detector, and those with bags had them scanned. We would also hand in our equipment — laptops, cameras, phones and power banks for the security sweep. 

While we were waiting for the candidate, I would talk to the voters to see what made them show up or come out in support of the President. And most of them said they wanted to know what the candidate’s plans would be should he win the election. Others wanted answers to their concerns on health care, corruption, job creation, education, roads and so on — concrete solutions to the problems they face daily.

Once the candidate started speaking, I would listen for any newsworthy items to file a digital report immediately after the rally. After covering a presidential candidate for a while, you grow accustomed to their stump speeches, but sometimes they will add something related to the news of the day, sharpen their criticism of rivals, or make an unexpected announcement. 

So, you have to listen attentively to what the candidate is saying. At the end of the day, we would return to our hotels to recharge our batteries, both literally and figuratively, in order to get ready to do it again the next day. If the rally were in a different district and the night had fallen, we would figure out where we would sleep. Sometimes we would not book hotels for the night, until we were done for the day and knew where we were going to sleep for the next day’s events. 

What I saw 

On the campaign trail, Museveni kept reminding people of his biggest achievement: The peace that Uganda has enjoyed since he seized power in 1986. 

This remains his powerful selling point, especially in rural areas, where most Ugandans still live and among older voters with memories of carnage and political turmoil under former presidents, Dr Milton Obote and Idi Amin. For these voters, Museveni is still the saviour who brought them peace and stability. They fear that any radical change as promised by the Opposition could mean a return to war. And to underline their affection for him, Museveni’s ardent supporters, especially in rural areas, could brave heavy rains to attend rallies. Nothing better illustrates this show of support than the rally at Bukuya town council grounds in Kassanda district, which was held on December 17, 2025. 

The heavy rain started at about 8:40am and lasted for four hours, but did not deter enthusiastic NRM supporters, who queued quietly from the early hours at the walkthrough metal detectors and luggage scanners to enter the campaign venue. Many motorists were seen navigating the murram roads leading to the venue, which became slippery, costing them time. 

At many rallies, Museveni would randomly select different residents from the audience standing behind metal barriers and give them a chance to interact with him and air their grievances. Speaking on the local issues, Museveni came across as genuinely sincere in his resolve to see the issues addressed. He would listen carefully without interrupting, showing a keen interest in understanding the situation on the ground in an area and finding solutions. For example, at a rally held at Karugutu Primary School in Ntoroko district on December 5, 2025, one voter, David Byaruhanga, who identified himself as a bush war veteran, interacted with Museveni. 

He narrated how he was forced to retire from the army aged 24, at the rank of corporal. Byaruhanga, who claimed he joined Museveni in the bush aged 16, had almost five minutes informing him of both community and personal issues. Museveni then asked him to share his mobile phone number with his State House staff and name the high-profile officials who were allegedly destroying Lake Albert so that action could be taken. When Byaruhanga started complaining about being neglected after helping Museveni rise to power in 1986, you could hear a pin drop in the audience.

There was also a touching story of a 38-year-old hairdresser in Bubutu town council, Namisindwa district, which grabbed the President’s attention for close to five minutes. This was during Museveni’s second and final rally of the day at Namisindwa Technical School playground, which was interrupted by a heavy downpour on November 8, 2025. Joy Munialo, one of the trainees who graduated from Bugisu Zonal Presidential Industrial Hub in Lukhonge sub-county, Mbale district, in January 2023, also spoke to the President. She looked close to tears while describing her journey that would later see her own a business and employ others. Munialo, a mother of two, dropped out of Trinity College Maala, Namisindwa, in Senior Four due to a lack of school fees.

Law abiding Museveni 

On the side of the law, the President Yoweri Museveni stayed on the right side of the law by not violating the campaign guidelines. For instance, he never campaigned beyond 6:00pm, the stipulated time for candidates to end their campaigns, or held any processions through towns or urban centres after addressing rallies. 

Even when his supporters wanted him to stand through the sunroof of his moving car to wave to them after addressing them, he would not budge an inch. He was also careful not to be accused of voter bribery. While addressing a campaign rally in Ntoroko district on December 5, 2025, he invited one of the residents to ascend the podium and air his grievances. 

The resident also used the rare opportunity to implore the President to bail him out with sh2m to get back his motorcycle, which he had acquired on loan after getting the Parish Development Model funds. This sent the audience into fits of laughter as the President stared in amazement. Museveni then said with a smile: “This man, he is going to get me into prison. He wants me to give him money now, and they charge me with voter bribery. Let him wait. I will give him the sh2m after the election.”