Kampala, Uganda | The National Resistance Movement (NRM) National Delegates Conference has officially endorsed President Yoweri Museveni as the party’s presidential flagbearer for the 2026–2031 term. Speaking at the opening of the conference at Kololo Independence Grounds, Museveni thanked delegates for reaffirming their trust in his leadership and for granting him the mandate to represent NRM in the upcoming presidential race. He also congratulated Hon. Hajji Moses Kigongo, a senior NRM cadre since 1980, for being elected unopposed.
“I thank you for entrusting me to serve as chairman of the NRM for the period 2026–2031 and as the party flagbearer for the presidential contest,” Museveni said.
In his address, Museveni reflected on Uganda’s economic history, beginning from the colonial period when the economy revolved around “the three Cs and three Ts” cotton, coffee, copper, tobacco, tea, and tourism. He noted that by 1961, only 9% of households engaged in income-generating activities, with the majority relying on subsistence farming. He recounted the economic collapse under Idi Amin and outlined the five phases of recovery under the NRM government: restoring cash crops and defeating the black market, increasing production of traditional crops, promoting crops such as maize, bananas, milk, beef, cassava, and fruits as cash products, developing local industries in textiles, leather, furniture, and other sectors to maximize returns and create jobs, and investing in technology-driven industries and innovations, including electric vehicles.
Museveni highlighted that Uganda’s economy has grown from $3.9 billion in 1986 to $66 billion today, with a purchasing power parity (PPP) of $188 billion. He called for a “qualitative leap” to transform Uganda into a $500 billion high middle-income economy by promoting industrialization and value addition. He emphasized the need to transition Uganda into a modern, technology-driven society and outlined seven guiding principles for national development, beginning with peace, which he said must be preserved at all costs. “NRM has maintained peace for 40 years. This may be the first time in 600 years that this area has enjoyed continuous peace,” he noted. Museveni also differentiated between public development roads, schools, hospitals and household wealth, which is generated through agriculture, manufacturing, services, and ICT.
Addressing young leaders, Museveni encouraged wealth creation, citing examples of youth leveraging the four-acre farming model for income generation through dairy, poultry, cassava, and value-added projects. He urged Ugandans to focus on household wealth, peace, and supporting NRM’s vision of a modern, high-income Uganda.
In party elections, Speaker Anita Among was selected over Rebecca Kadaga for the NRM Central Executive Committee, while Mike Mukulu withdrew in favor of Echodu in the Eastern Region race. President Museveni praised the spirit of collaboration, saying, “I consistently advocate for solution-based leadership; it’s not about who leads but what is accomplished. I commend the leaders for prioritizing shared interests over individual positions.”