Busoga NRM mobilisers celebrate Museveni victory, call for unity

BUGIRI - Following the declaration of President Yoweri Museveni as the winner of the 2026 presidential election, leaders and mobilisers in the Busoga have celebrated a significant surge in local support and charted a path for community reconciliation.

In a series of remarks delivered at a victory celebration in Bugiri over the weekend, key figures attributed the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party success to targeted infrastructure development, agricultural reforms and the high-profile leadership of the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East African Community Affairs Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, widely referred to as Mama Kadaga.

A journey worth celebrating

Busoga Kingdom tourism minister Hellen Namutamba, also a lead mobiliser during President Museveni’s campaigns in Busoga, expressed profound gratitude to the voters.

She noted that the 2026 campaign was a reversal of the 2021 results, where the NRM had previously faced challenges in the region.

"Busoga this time voted for 'Mzee' because Mama Kadaga addressed the core concerns of our people," Namutamba said.

"From the issues of fishers and sugarcane pricing to the construction of the Kiira Motors plant and the redevelopment of Jinja Regional Referral Hospital, the impact of government’s work was visible."

Namutamba highlighted specific successes, including the establishment of a permanent price (shillings 125,000) and the placement of weighbridges in every growing district; progress on the Budondo-Mbulamuti-Bukungu and Kamuli-Luuka-Iganga roads, alongside the construction of the Kimaka airport; and the expansion of manufacturing plants, with some factories employing over 4,000 local workers requiring only a national ID for qualification.

A call for reconciliation

As the region prepares for lower local government elections, Minister Namutamba issued a stern call for peace.

She urged MP-elects and their supporters to reach out to opponents and local leaders for reconciliation, unity, and deliver services for the development of Busoga.

Hellen Namutamba (middle, lifted high), the Busoga Kingdom’s Minister of Tourism and a lead mobilizer of President Museveni’s campaigns in Busoga jubilating with NRM supporters in Bugiri district on Friday. (Credit: Donald Kiirya)

"Politics can be dirty, but after the polls, we must come back together—I request the candidates who lost to look out for one another so we can develop Busoga as one," she said.

The mobilisation team, which traversed islands, shrines, nightclubs, and churches under the ‘Yellow Sunday’ initiative, concluded by thanking the media for their role in documenting the transformation of the region.

Electoral gains

The Office of the Bugiri Resident District Commissioner (RDC) confirmed the statistical shift, where Assistant RDC Henry Gilbert Situma revealed that President Museveni’s support in the district rose from 46% in 2021 to 54% in 2026.

"The President's message focused on four pillars: Security, stability, development and job creation," Situma said.

He urged citizens to move past the friction of the election season, emphasising that government programmes like the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga would continue to be the primary vehicles for poverty alleviation.

Global and regional perspective

The event also featured insights from the diaspora, with Julius Kasoone of the South African NRM Taskforce comparing Uganda’s environment favourably to other nations.
Kasoone, who was accompanied by the chairman of the South African NRM taskforce Iddi Mugoya, praised Uganda’s security and agricultural potential, noting that the country’s fertile land allows for high yields without the heavy reliance on fertilisers seen elsewhere.

However, Kasoone also used the platform to advocate for legislative progress, calling on Parliament to consider a minimum wage law to ensure that the growing industrial workforce in Busoga and beyond receives fair compensation.

Bugweri’s Ghetto President Najib Bulagala, commended President Yoweri Museveni for supporting Ghetto associations with funds through Al-Haji Farouk Kirunda.

“Ghetto community in Bugweri district voted for President Museveni with 52% in 2026 from 28% in 2021 under the Ghetto community,” Bulagala said.

Ahmed Sserwanga, aka Kababa the Ghetto President in Bugiri district, commended Ugandans for conducting a peaceful election and voting for President Yoweri Museveni.
He commended Maama Kadaga and Hellen Namutamba for the superb mobilisation in Busoga that saw President Museveni realise a landslide victory.