By Mwesigwa Jonathan
As the Party Chairman and Presidential Flagbearer launched the Manifesto on Monday, it is important to draw attention to Busoga, an area whose political heartbeat is shifting in ways the NRM cannot afford to ignore.
For decades, President Museveni enjoyed solid support in Busoga. But since the 2021 polls, cracks have widened. By 2026, many of us expected these challenges to be resolved. Instead, they remain glaring and continue to weaken the party’s ground.
Brutality on the Lakes; Fishing communities on Lakes Victoria and Kyoga feel abandoned and betrayed. Security forces deployed to enforce regulation have mistreated them, leaving deep resentment that cannot simply be erased with campaign promises.
The Sugarcane Crisis; Sugarcane farmers remain trapped in a cycle of falling prices, exploitation, and broken promises. The much-touted government-owned sugar factory remains a dream, and the patience of farmers is wearing thin.
The Education Gap; While other regions boast public universities, Busoga still lags behind. The absence of a fully-fledged public university is a daily reminder of inequality, breeding frustration among the youth and intellectuals who see opportunities elsewhere but not at home.
The Myth of SACCOs; Some opportunists are misleading the President into believing that throwing money at SACCOs will solve the crisis. This is cosmetic politics. The truth is simple: people will eat that money and still withhold their votes. The evidence is clear. How can a structure with 30 members per village fail to raise even 10 votes at some polling stations? These are questions we must ask before scrambling for mobilisation funds.
Dangerous Internal Divisions; As we head into 2026, another storm is brewing: the rivalry between “Team Mama” and “Team Mulamu.” Instead of unity, the party in Busoga is fractured. Worse still, the opposition has hijacked these divisions to fuel the slogan “No Mama, No Vote.” While money keeps flowing into Busoga for mobilisation, ghetto youths and disillusioned supporters are only taking it without shifting their allegiance.
My Advice: Before mobilisation reaches Busoga, the Party Chairman, the Secretary General, and Hon. Rosemary Seninde must urgently reconcile these factions. Without unity, Busoga will remain divided, and the NRM will continue losing ground.
If brutality on the lakes, the sugarcane crisis, the education gap, and factionalism remain unresolved, 2026 could deliver an even bigger setback for the NRM in Busoga.
The writer is a Youth Analyst (B.S. Social Sciences, Kyambogo University)
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