Kampala, Uganda: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has been officially nominated as the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag bearer for the 2026 presidential elections, becoming the first candidate to be cleared by the Electoral Commission (EC) in the ongoing nomination exercise.
Mr Museveni, 81, accompanied by First Lady Janet Kataaha Museveni received his nomination certificate at the new EC offices at Lweza on Tuesday, September 23 amidst cheers of party senior officials and supporters in full attendance.
In a statement released shortly after the nomination exercise, the President thanked NRM members for re-electing him as their flag bearer and pointed to what he called strong economic gains during the last Kisanja.
“I want to thank the NRM members for entrusting and electing me as the NRM Presidential flag bearer for the 2026-2031 term,” Mr Museveni said in a social media post via X, formerly Twitter.
“The GDP of Uganda has doubled from $34 billion to $66 billion. You have everything today that you lacked in the past: electricity, roads, telephones, manpower, the educated people, and peace. That’s why we are being flooded by many investors because they are looking for a peaceful and profitable area where to invest,” he added.
Projecting the agenda for the 2026-31 term, President Museveni outlined seven priorities among which include wealth creation, free education in government schools, road infrastructure development, fighting crime and impunity, eradicating corruption, strengthening immunisation and drug security in the health sector, and extending clean water to all villages.
Meanwhile, the nomination of Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine), the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate, is scheduled for Wednesday, September 24, after the EC turned down his request to be nominated on the same day as Museveni.
Kyagulanyi’s path to nomination has been contentious, with the EC initially requiring him to secure endorsement signatures from 18 more districts despite NUP’s insistence that it had already met the threshold.
Bobi’s campaign continues to focus on democratic reforms, youth empowerment, and economic justice, setting the stage for a high-stakes contest with Museveni, who has led Uganda since 1986.
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