Kyagulanyi’s week of promises and political positioning

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National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu this week launched his campaigns in the Busoga sub-region as part of his bid for the 2026 presidency.

From Jinja to Buyende, Kamuli, Namutumba, Bugweri, and Kaliro, the two-time presidential candidate was met by supporters chanting his trademark slogan: “People Power, Our Power.”

Kyagulanyi supporters at his campaign rally. (File/Richard Sanya)

(File/Richard Sanya)

The campaign officially kicked off at Kagoma Primary School grounds in Jinja on Monday and is expected to conclude in Namayingo and Iganga on Saturday. During the opening rally, the NUP leader also unveiled his manifesto, which outlines what the party plans to deliver if elected in next year’s general election.

At the heart of NUP’s agenda is a plan to reinstate presidential age and term limits, abolish military courts for civilians, and restore judicial independence. According to Kyagulanyi, his first task in office would be the unconditional release of all political prisoners.

“Our country is broken,” he told supporters in Jinja. “But it can be fixed if we press the reset button and start afresh.”

Anchoring his message on NUP’s 11-point reform agenda, Kyagulanyi said he would cut the size of both Parliament and Cabinet, limiting ministers to 20, while slashing MP salaries and allowances. He also pledged to abolish the office of the resident district commissioner (RDC) to save funds for reinvigorating service delivery.

Kyagulanyi during his campaign. (File/Richard Sanya)

(File/Richard Sanya)

The NUP leader has vowed to tackle corruption head-on through strong enforcement and institutional reforms, claiming the country loses about 10 trillion shillings annually to graft.

He also promised to fight poverty and restore dignity to struggling communities. In Busoga, he has pledged to address challenges in agriculture, particularly the plummeting price of sugarcane.

Busoga accounts for 35% of Uganda’s sugarcane milling capacity, followed by central Uganda (27%), western Uganda (26%), and northern Uganda (12%), according to a 2021 Economic Policy Research Centre study. But the sector has been hit hard, with the price of a tonne of sugarcane falling to sh120,000 from sh250,000, leaving many farmers unable to recover costs for inputs such as fertilisers and labour.

Kyagulanyi accused factory owners of exploitative pricing and promised to empower farmers through co-operative societies. He also vowed to push for greater local ownership of sugar factories, instead of leaving the industry in the hands of foreign investors.

In a bid to decentralise development and reduce the burden on Kampala, Kyagulanyi pledged to establish new regional cities, each serving as an economic hub tailored to local strengths.

He also promised civil service reforms, including setting a minimum salary of one million shillings for the lowest-paid police officers and significantly improving Uganda’s doctor-to-patient ratio, which currently stands at 1:20,000 — far below the World Health Organisation’s recommended 1:1,000.

Obstacles on the trail

While largely peaceful, Kyagulanyi’s first week on the campaign trail was not without incident. He criticised the campaign schedule, which restricts each candidate to one rally per district, saying this was insufficient to reach the electorate.

On Tuesday, he attempted to drive to Bukungu landing site in Kamuli to highlight the plight of fishermen but was blocked, nearly missing his final rally at Namwendwa Town Council grounds.

He said the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) use an approach of heavy-handedness in enforcing fishing regulations.

Earlier in the week, he had called for discipline among his supporters after a serious road crash involving the NUP motorcade left several people injured. Police blamed the crash on reckless driving.

More controversy arose after reports that two Kenyan activists — Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo — had been abducted following their attendance at NUP rallies. The party’s secretary general, David Lewis Rubongoya, declined to comment on the matter.

As the week drew to a close, Kyagulanyi urged Ugandans to take an active role in shaping the country’s future.

“Don’t leave politics to politicians alone,” he said while campaigning at Ivukula-Mpande playground in Bugweri on Thursday. “Uganda will not change unless you take action by voting out the current administration.”

As he seeks to unseat President Yoweri Museveni of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), Kyagulanyi has continued to articulate his agenda in a bid to win power through the ballot box. 

Whether his promises will translate into votes — and ultimately change — remains a question only time, and the electorate, can answer.