Entebbe, Uganda: President Yoweri Museveni has met with former NRM primary contestants from Buganda and thanked them for backing the party’s official flag bearers in the 2026 general elections, a signal of party reconciliation and mobilization in the region.
The meeting, held at State House, came as a fruit of a reconciliation caucus convened by the NRM Vice Chairperson for Central Region, Hon. Haruna Kyeyune Kasolo, earlier this month at Hotel Africana, Kampala, where more than 500 NRM leaders from Central Uganda gathered to lay out their grievances.
In a message shared on X (formerly Twitter), Museveni praised the Buganda leaders for putting aside differences and embracing unity. “I welcomed NRM members from Buganda who showed remarkable unity by rallying behind our flag bearers after the primaries. I congratulate them, and I can see the spirit of the National Resistance Army (NRA) coming back. Supporting NRM is first of all for stability, secondly, for the future of Uganda,” the President wrote.
Museveni described the State House engagement as “a significant step towards consolidating our support base in Buganda Region” and commended the initiative of the Buganda Caucus led by Kasolo for championing reconciliation.
During the Africana caucus, Kasolo and Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka assured primary losers that they would be granted an audience with the President — a promise now fulfilled. They also hinted at possible government appointments for loyal cadres to ensure no talent is left behind.
Kasolo has consistently pushed the “Buganda Ku Museveni” slogan into an electoral strategy, targeting at least 85% of the presidential vote in 2026 and reclaiming 80 out of the region’s 105 parliamentary seats. The initiative is spearheaded by AG Kiryowa, Kasolo, NRM Buganda caucus leader Hon. Robert Ndugwa Migadde, and Lwengo Woman MP Hon. Cissy Dionizia Namujju.
Strategy for 2026
According to party insiders, the State House meeting is expected to solidify NRM’s momentum in Buganda, with clear roles assigned to former contestants in mobilization, monitoring government programs like the Parish Development Model (PDM), and safeguarding votes in 2026.
Political analysts note that Buganda’s voting patterns will play a decisive role in the election. In 2021, NRM retained strongholds in Greater Mubende but suffered major losses in Greater Mukono, Greater Masaka, and Greater Mpigi.
Museveni’s direct engagement with Buganda leaders, they argue, is a deliberate strategy to rebuild ground in Uganda’s most populous region and counter opposition dominance.
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