President Yoweri Museveni on Wednesday returned to the symbolic grounds of Bukalasa Agricultural College—once a rebel training camp—kicking off his 2026 re-election campaign with a blunt message to the people who birthed his presidency: “I have protected the revolution for 40 years; give me five more and every Luweero household will be in the money economy.”
Tens of thousands of yellow-clad supporters, many old enough to have carried guns in the 1981-86 bush war, cheered as Museveni listed what he called “receipts” for their sacrifice: peace, 50 000 factories, an economy set to be turbo-charged by first oil next year, and a welfare chain that now reaches every parish.
But the President admitted the job is unfinished. “When we started, only 9 % of Ugandans were in the money economy. Today 67 % are inside; 33 % remain outside. This kisanja, we are going in to get everybody,” he declared to thunderous applause.
Cash on the ground
To make the pledge real, Museveni announced a dramatic cash increase for poverty programmes: urban parishes will receive Shs 300 million each; rural ones Shs 100 million plus an extra Shs 15 million for leaders—money channelled through the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) structures he controls.
He paired the offer with a warning: “Some people steal this money. I want you to expose them and we shall arrest them.”
Land, drugs and school fees
On land—an emotive issue in Buganda—Museveni reassured bibanja holders that they can now pay nominal ground rent (busulu) directly to sub-county offices, bypassing landlords. Government, he said, will “eventually pay off the landlords” so peasants own their plots outright.
He also promised to end theft of medicines in public health centres, blaming local politicians and administrators. “The drugs are traceable. Elect good LC5s and MPs to monitor the stores; from the centre I will act,” he said.
And in a move aimed at restless parents, Museveni vowed to recruit 50 000 additional teachers and crack down on government schools charging illegal fees. “Free education must be exactly that—free,” he said, revealing that pupils at his Presidential Skilling Hubs graduate into employment “within six months at zero cost.”
Symbolic launch ground
Choosing Luweero—nicknamed the “Luweero Triangle” for the fierce fighting that happened here—was no accident. The district delivered the bulk of Museveni’s bush-war fighters and has voted overwhelmingly for him since 1996. Many in Wednesday’s crowd wore T-shirts emblazoned with the 2026 campaign theme: “Protecting the Gains, Making a Qualitative Leap into High Middle-Income Status.”
First Lady Janet Museveni, also Minister of Education, stood beside the President, while NRM First National Vice-Chairman Al-Hajji Moses Kigongo handed the party flag to Luweero parliamentary candidates, cementing the district’s place at the centre of Museveni’s sixth-term bid.
Opposition unimpressed
Speaking by phone, National Unity Platform (NUP) spokesperson Joel Ssenyonyi dismissed the promises as “recycled pledges we have heard since 1996.”
“Luweero remains one of the poorest regions; poverty levels are above the national average. If after four decades the President is still campaigning on ending poverty, it is an admission of failure,” Ssenyonyi said.
Longest campaign yet
With 14 months to the February 2026 vote, Museveni becomes the first major candidate to open formal campaigns. The Electoral Commission says the official campaign window is only three months, but the President’s early start signals what is expected to be the longest—and most resource-intensive—race of his 38-year tenure.
For the people of Luweero, the President’s message was simple: “You fought for the revolution; now let the revolution fight poverty for you.” Whether they still believe the war will end at the ballot box, only the votes—cast in little over a year—will tell.
