Museveni starts Buganda vote quest in Mubende

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President Yoweri Museveni is today, December 15, 2025, taking his quest for votes to Buganda region, which was grabbed by the National Unity Platform (NUP) party in the last general election.

Museveni, the candidate for the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party in the forthcoming general election, will hold his first rally of the day at Kasambya Diocese playgrounds in Mubende district to mark the start of his vote hunt in Buganda.

Mubende is one of the few districts in the central region where Museveni cemented his status in the 2021 General Election. The other districts include Sembabule, Rakai, Kyankwanzi, Nakasongola, Nakaseke, Lyantonde and Kiboga.

In the 2021 General Election, Mubende had 196,565 registered voters, and out of these, 120,287 (61.2%) voted. Museveni polled 71,834 (62.7%) votes in the district, while his chief rival, Robert Kyagulanyi of NUP, garnered 40,980 (35.6%).

Mubende now has a total of 236,252 voters, an increase of 39,687. The polling stations also increased to 558, up from 383 in 2021.

In the 2021 General Election, all Cabinet ministers from Buganda lost their parliamentary seats to the Opposition candidates, especially from NUP.

They included then Vice President Edward Ssekandi and full ministers, then Government Chief Whip Ruth Nankabirwa, Judith Nabakooba (information), Amelia Kyambadde (trade), Vincent Ssempijja (agriculture), Beti Kamya (lands) and Fred Ruhindi (Attorney General).

The state ministers were: John C. Muyingo (higher education), Rosemary Seninde (primary education), Ronald Kibuule (water), Haruna Kasolo (microfinance), Godfrey Kiwanda (tourism), Benny Namugwanya (Kampala affairs), Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi (youth and children affairs) and Dennis Galabuzi (Luwero Triangle).

Launches new campaigns

In May 2024, NRM launched a new voter mobilisation campaign to reclaim Buganda.

Dubbed ‘Kisoboka [it is possible] Agricultural Expos-2024’, the drive was to, among other things, help the NRM-led government enhance productivity and wealth creation among the people.

It was launched by party secretary general Richard Todwong at the Kavumba Recreation Centre in Wakiso town council.

Todwong had indicated that they would begin in all districts in the central region on July 16, 2025 and end on October 16, 2025, before expanding it to other parts of the country.

He also said they would mobilise Ugandans in joining commercial agriculture with a focus on coffee to increase production, profitability and wealth creation. 

“This is the gospel we intend to spread throughout the central region among our people. It is consistent with President Museveni’s message of improving people’s livelihoods,” Todwong said then.

However, the campaign did not gather momentum, and in March this year, the ruling party launched another drive to improve its political fortunes in the region.

“Buganda for Museveni campaign” was launched in Kiboga by the NRM Buganda parliamentary caucus.

Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka, who was the chief guest, said at the launch that they would go around the region to monitor government projects, highlight what has been done, the plans for what is to be done and ask the people of Uganda to continue supporting NRM.

He knocked back suggestions that the new campaign by him and the NRM MPs is just for making money because the ruling party’s approval ratings were at the lowest ever level in the central region.

“Even in the last election, NRM did not get zero. The idea (of the campaign) is to make the prospects better. But then again, that is the purpose of democracy. To convince the masses (or not). Let’s try our luck and see how it goes,” he said.

Kiryowa emphasised that leaders must go and account to the people. “These are like barazas (public meetings). I, for one, learnt a lot about some of the issues in Kiboga. Mobilisation is about sharing views and engagement on issues,” he said.

He also noted the campaign would give people a chance to tell them where they have failed as leaders.

However, before crossing to Buganda, Museveni will wrap up his campaign in the Bunyoro sub-region with a rally at Kakeeka playground in Kakumiro district, where the Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja, is Woman MP.