President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has been nominated unopposed as National Chairman of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party’s and its 2026 Presidential Flag Bearer.
Museveni who will be seeking a 5th term has promised to lead Uganda and leap-frog from USDs 50bn to USDs 500bn through value addition, industrialization, and regional integration in the next 10 years.
Addressing thousands of jubilating supporters at the NRM Electoral Commission Headquarters in Kampala, Museveni said ,“Millions of Ugandans have been ordering me with the slogan TovaKuMain,” Museveni said. “I am responding to that call to complete the mission we started — lifting Uganda from a raw-material exporter to a high middle-income country.”
President getting nominated as National Chairman and Presidential Flag Bearer on Saturday July 05, 2025
Museveni outlined six core focus areas that form the foundation of his next term’s manifesto, among which include; maintaining peace and security, accelerating infrastructure development, wealth creation, expanding employment opportunities, improving social services like education and health, and unlocking regional markets through deeper East African integration.
He told his audience that under his leadership, the NRM has grown Uganda’s economy from $3.9 billion in 1986 to $61 billion today, pushing Uganda out of Least Developed Country status. He advocated a more aggressive reforms -regime to realise a $500 billion economy in shortest time possible -far ahead of 2040 set target.
“We have done recovery and diversification. But with maximum value addition to all our raw materials and knowledge-based industries, we can leap into the first world,” Museveni said, citing examples like coffee, which earns Uganda only $2.5 per kilo as raw beans but could fetch $40 per kilo once roasted and packaged.
He also warned the newly elected NRM structures against turning leadership into a career for personal gain. “My advice to you is to be wealth creators so you do not look at leadership as a job. If our generation had a jobist mentality, Uganda would never have been rescued,” he said.
President Yoweri Museveni and Mama Janet wave to supporters after receiving nomination as NRM National Chairman and 2026 Presidential Flag Bearer
Mr Museveni also used the occasion to reaffirm his longstanding ideological pillars: patriotism, Pan-Africanism, socio-economic transformation, and democracy. He challenged the youth to anchor their leadership on principle rather than personal ambition.
“Political leadership is about serving your people and defending their interests against corruption, fraud, criminality, and land evictions,” he emphasised.
The President’s nomination as both the National Chairman and Presidential Flag bearer was proposed by the 1st National Vice Chairman, Alhajj Moses Kigongo and Tom Butime, chairman of the NRA historicals, respectively.
The occasion was witnessed by the First Lady, Maama Janet Museveni, Prime Minister Rt Hon. Robinah Babanja, NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong, NRM CEC Members ,senior NRM leaders, and supporters drawn from the different regions of the country.
Museveni, who is now NRM flag bearer, is expected to get fully nominated by the Uganda Electoral Commission in September this year when nominations for the 2026 Presidential elections are held.
