President Museveni Unveils NRM 2026–31 Manifesto, Pledges to Safeguard Peace and Spur Prosperity

By Gad Masereka

Kampala, Uganda – When President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni unveiled the National Resistance Movement’s manifesto for the 2026–2031 term at Speke Resort Munyonyo, he positioned it not just as a political document but as a roadmap designed to consolidate stability and push Uganda firmly toward high middle–income status. The event, attended by top party officials, ministers, and legislators, carried a tone of continuity while also signaling the need for fresh momentum in critical sectors of national life.

The President drew attention to peace and security as the foundation upon which all other aspirations stand, reminding the gathering that without stability there can be no meaningful progress. He acknowledged that crime and corruption remain persistent challenges, vowing to strengthen institutions and social services as safeguards for Uganda’s hard-earned achievements. “It is peace that has given us the room to build roads, extend electricity, and expand schools and hospitals,” Mr Museveni said, arguing that development is a chain that links stability, wealth creation, and markets in a cycle that sustains growth.

While the manifesto’s theme, Protecting the Gains and Ensuring a Qualitative Leap into High Middle–Income Status, echoes past pledges, the President emphasized a sharper focus on wealth creation at the household level. He pointed to the need for every Ugandan to be engaged in productive enterprises, stressing that poverty cannot be eradicated without strengthening small-scale industry, agro-processing, and value addition. He also placed regional markets at the center of the strategy, arguing that Uganda’s prosperity depends not only on domestic initiatives but also on deeper integration within East Africa and across the continent.

Party leaders who spoke at the launch reinforced the message that the manifesto reflects both the NRM’s ideological foundation and practical responses to Uganda’s evolving needs. Al-Hajji Moses Kigongo, the First National Vice Chairperson, reminded party structures of their role in driving disciplined campaigns at the grassroots, warning that disorganization could erode the NRM’s hard-earned credibility. Speaker of Parliament Annet Anita Among commended the manifesto’s clarity in highlighting social achievements, particularly in health and education, and singled out the progress in agro-industrialization and youth empowerment initiatives as evidence of a government that matches words with results.

The party’s Secretary General, Richard Todwong, added weight to the discussion by framing the manifesto as part of a long-term ideological journey. He underscored that the NRM’s consistency has allowed Uganda to register measurable progress across decades. He cited figures that painted a picture of transformation: a projected GDP of 66.1 billion dollars by the close of FY2025/26, poverty rates reduced from over 21 percent in 2016 to just above 16 percent in 2025, and a sharp fall in subsistence farming households to about one-third of the population. Tourism earnings, industrial growth, and improvements in health and education indicators were presented as proof that the Movement has delivered more than promises.

At the same time, Todwong urged citizens not to grow complacent, noting that the path to a fully transformed economy still has hurdles. He highlighted value addition in agriculture and minerals, equitable land use, and bringing every household into the money economy as unfinished tasks. “The next phase will demand more responsibility from both leaders and citizens. We must ensure that no Ugandan is left behind in the journey,” he said.

The manifesto launch was therefore not simply a partisan celebration but a deliberate attempt to tie the story of the NRM to Uganda’s future prosperity. By linking peace to economic opportunity and political stability to social transformation, the party framed the 2026–2031 manifesto as both a continuation of past victories and a pledge to confront the realities that remain. As the country heads toward the next election, the NRM has made it clear that its campaign will rest on a promise of guarding what has been achieved while pushing for a more inclusive and sustainable national transformation.