2026 polls: NUP changes mobilisation strategy

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As the clock ticks towards next year’s general election, the National Unity Platform (NUP) party has adopted a new mobilisation strategy in a move seen as a measure to avoid clashes with the Police.

“We have for a long time embarked on structuring our mobilisation teams that will contest for various positions in the 2026 election to achieve a protest vote. So, in these regional meetings, it is important that the leaders meet the leaders to be on the same page,” the NUP deputy spokesperson, Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro, told New Vision on Tuesday, April 15.

“So, we are looking at our mobilisation structures in all regions of Uganda as part of enhancing the leadership we have and enhancing a search for intending (NUP) candidates. We are using multiple strategies,” he emphasised.

On Monday (April 14), NUP top leaders, led by their president, Robert Kyagulanyi, met with the party leaders from the 40 districts of the eastern region in Mbale city.

According to Kyagulanyi, these leaders came from Busoga, Bugisu, Teso, Bukedi and Sebei sub-regions.

“This engagement was aimed at training and launching these teams to go on the ground and mobilise, organise and agitate for the revolution. We charged them to be resilient in the face of so much intimidation,” he said on his social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

Holding a town hall regional meeting, which was successful and incident-free, amounted to a shift in strategy.

Kyagulanyi expressed optimism about the future. “Driven by hope, we shall get there. Very energised by their enthusiasm and passion,” he added.

The National Electoral Commission has already announced that the next general election will take place on January 12 and February 9, 2026, but candidates for presidential, parliamentary and local government seats will be nominated from June to October 2025.

Agreement in place

In July last year, NUP, which is the main opposition political party in Uganda, reached an agreement with the police to resume its countrywide mobilisation activities that were halted following a fatal crash in Maya, on the Kampala–Masaka highway.

The crash, which occurred on May 31, 2024, led to the loss of three lives and many others were left injured, according to the police.

It involved two motor vehicles and four motorcycles, which were part of a motorcade in a procession of NUP leaders heading to Masaka city for consultative activities.

The police and NUP leadership agreed on the guidelines that prohibited carrying people on motor vehicle rooftops and vehicles carrying excess passengers.

The guidelines also prohibited speeding and convoys of many motor vehicles and motorcycles from Kampala to upcountry locations.