President Yoweri Museveni has urged opposition leaders and their supporters to embrace principled reconciliation following the conclusion of Uganda’s 2026 general elections, calling on all political actors to abandon confrontation and work toward national unity and cohesion.
In a detailed post-election letter addressed to Ugandans, Museveni congratulated citizens on completing the presidential, parliamentary, local government and LC1 elections, describing the process as largely peaceful and participatory. He said he traversed the country during campaigns and witnessed strong involvement from elders, youth and even children—an indication, he argued, of sustained public engagement in Uganda’s democratic process.
The President attributed Uganda’s relative political stability to long-standing reforms implemented under the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and NRA government. These include the professionalisation of the security forces, efforts to curb sectarian politics based on religion and ethnicity, and economic reforms that revived industry and stabilised the supply of essential consumer goods.
He also highlighted major infrastructure projects on key highways and sustained security operations against insurgent groups as milestones that have helped consolidate national stability over the years.
Revisiting Uganda’s electoral history, Museveni argued that earlier reforms had reduced malpractice, but warned that the reintroduction of the secret ballot created loopholes that were later exploited. He alleged that electoral fraud such as multiple voting and ballot manipulation re-emerged in subsequent elections, blaming weak enforcement for undermining the credibility of some electoral processes.
In one of the most controversial sections of his letter, Museveni questioned why millions of registered NRM supporters often fail to turn up on polling day.
“Why do the 18.5 million voters of the NRM not bother to vote, or even when they are registered, do not come to vote?” he asked.
He blamed this trend on what he termed “najjakulya” (I came to eat) leaders on both the ruling party and opposition sides.
According to Museveni, some NRM leaders fail to engage grassroots supporters, while violence and unfair practices during party primaries frustrate members and discourage participation.
He added that this internal discontent partly explains the growing trend of NRM-leaning independents defeating official party flag bearers in several constituencies.
Turning to the opposition, Museveni accused some groups of using intimidation, violence and isolated acts of terrorism to suppress voter turnout.
“With the opposition, they mainly disturb our population with intimidation, violence and isolated cases of terrorism,” he wrote.
He cited past attacks and alleged plots to disrupt voting, claiming that security agencies—working with local communities—successfully neutralised large-scale threats during the 2026 polls. However, he warned that some individuals were still “hatching schemes,” including alleged collaboration with foreign mercenaries, and said all election-related violence cases would be prosecuted.
On livelihoods, Museveni defended government interventions such as Universal Primary Education, Entandikwa, NAADS, Operation Wealth Creation, Emyooga, and other financing initiatives, saying they were designed to transition households from subsistence to commercial production.
He pointed to increased output in coffee, dairy, maize and bananas, while acknowledging persistent challenges including poverty, corruption, land disputes and the high cost of education.
The President admitted that poor supervision and uneven implementation by local leaders had weakened the impact of some programmes, fueling public dissatisfaction. He said the Parish Development Model was introduced to strengthen grassroots ownership and accountability, noting early signs of better targeting where parish structures are functioning effectively.
As the country enters the post-election period, Museveni called on leaders across the political divide to avoid inflammatory rhetoric and conduct, and to commit to peaceful engagement.
He stressed that unresolved service delivery gaps particularly in health, infrastructure and governance must be addressed decisively to maintain public confidence in state institutions and safeguard national stability.
“Uganda’s future,” Museveni concluded, “depends on unity, discipline and leaders who serve the people rather than personal interests.”