Ruling party shifts focus to door-to-door mobilisation to reclaim Kampala

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After years of electoral setbacks in Kampala, the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party is now using the door-to-door campaign strategy to win over voters in Kampala city ahead of the 2026 General Election.

Under the new approach, the party leadership has delegated much of its mobilisation efforts to village-level structures, which have been tasked with rallying support for President Yoweri Museveni and all NRM flag bearers within their respective areas.

According to NRM Vice Chairperson for Kampala, Salim Uhuru Nsubuga, the decision marks a significant shift in the party’s campaign tactics.

NRM Vice Chairperson for Kampala, Salim Uhuru Nsubuga. (Credit: Ronnie Kijjambu)

Mrs Jane Barekye, State House Comptroller. (Credit: Ronnie Kijjambu)

He said empowering local structures is a deliberate move to strengthen community engagement and ensure that the NRM reconnects with its grassroots base.

“This is historical, and I am sure we are going to win Kampala if the leaders and members stay united. We are going to facilitate the lower structures to do their work effectively,” he added.

Uhuru made the remarks while addressing NRM leaders from Makindye Division at Pearl Primary School in Kabalagala, and Kyambogo Playground in Nakawa, Kampala, on November 12, 2026. 

The same mobilisation meetings were also held in Rubaga and Kampala Central divisions on November 11, 2026.

Uhuru, who is spearheading the new mobilisation drive, explained that in previous elections, campaign co-ordination had largely been handled by individuals outside the local leadership, sidelining area leaders who understood their communities best.

“The door-to-door or home-to-home strategy also helps leaders to know the challenges of their people, which can easily help the government come up with relevant interventions,” he added.

Organisation and unity are key

“There is no way the Opposition can defeat NRM if we are organised and unified. We have the structures that they do not have. Why do we then fail to win? We must work as one force to ensure President Museveni wins Kampala and gets the right team to work with for the better of the city,” he added.

He also called on all NRM leaders across Kampala to immediately begin door-to-door campaigns and persuade residents to vote for President Museveni. In addition, he urged independent candidates who broke away from the party after the primaries to step down in favour of official NRM flag bearers “for the good of the party and to avoid dividing the vote.”

NRM deputy secretary general Rose Namanya said the new approach was endorsed by both the party leadership and President Museveni himself.

She emphasised that the 2026 elections should mark a turning point for the party in Kampala.

“The president and the party leadership decided that the lower structure at the village level should take the lead in the hunt for votes and mobilisation of support for all NRM flag bearers. The votes are in villages, not at the party headquarters,” Namayanja explained.

“Let us support each other. After voting for President Museveni, tick the bus for other positions. We need more MPs, mayors, and councillors in Kampala,” she said.

She added that local structures would be facilitated and supervised by higher party offices to ensure efficiency and accountability in the campaign.

Moses Nsubuga, the NRM’s candidate for Kampala Lord Mayor, said the city’s leadership should prioritise service delivery and development rather than a political show off.

“The position of Lord Mayor is not about the ‘Rule of Law’ but the development of the city and its people. We don’t want people who come to cry in camera for sympathy yet they do nothing for the people. Kampala doesn’t need a lawyer but an administrator whose work is to ensure better services. This is the time to change this and NRM, which is ready to work for the people,” he noted.