The National Resistance Movement (NRM) has formally endorsed President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni as its presidential flagbearer for the 2026–2031 term, cementing his position at the helm of the ruling party ahead of next year’s elections.
The endorsement was made during the party’s National Delegates Conference at Kololo Independence Grounds, where thousands of delegates converged to renew their trust in Museveni’s leadership.
In his acceptance speech, Museveni expressed gratitude for the confidence placed in him both as party chairman and as the NRM’s standard bearer.
“I thank you for putting trust in me to be your chairman of the NRM for the period 2026–2031, and for electing me as the party flagbearer for the presidential contest. I congratulate Hon. Hajji Moses Kigongo, a senior cadre of the NRM since 1980, for being elected unopposed,” Museveni said.
Economic Transformation as Central Theme
Museveni used the occasion to walk delegates through Uganda’s economic journey, tracing its struggles from colonial dependency on “the three Cs and three Ts” (cotton, coffee, copper, tobacco, tea, and tourism), to collapse under Idi Amin, and finally to recovery and diversification under NRM leadership.
Since 1986, he noted, Uganda’s economy has expanded from $3.9 billion to $66 billion, with a purchasing power parity (PPP) value of $188 billion. Looking ahead, Museveni pledged a “qualitative leap forward” toward transforming Uganda into a $500 billion high middle-income economy, anchored on value addition and industrialization.
Call for Peace and Modernization
At the heart of his message was the need to safeguard peace, which he said Uganda has now enjoyed for four uninterrupted decades.
“NRM has been able to keep peace here for the last 40 years. This may be the first time in 600 years that this area has had peace continuously,” Museveni emphasized.
He outlined seven guiding principles for the next phase of transformation, distinguishing between development (public goods like roads and schools) and wealth (household prosperity through commercial agriculture, manufacturing, services, and ICT).
Inspiration for the Youth
Museveni also directed his message to young Ugandans, encouraging them to adopt his four-acre model of farming and invest in value addition enterprises. He highlighted examples of youth-led projects in dairy, poultry, cassava, and ICT as proof that wealth creation is within reach for the younger generation.
The Road to 2026
With the endorsement secured, the NRM’s focus now shifts to consolidating support across the country as it heads into another election cycle under Museveni’s leadership. For the President, the mandate is clear: preserve peace, sustain economic growth, and push Uganda closer to the dream of modernity and high-income status.
