Zadock Amanyisa || Tayari News
RWAKITURA – Uganda’s President-elect, Mr Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, on Sunday, 18th January took a dig at the members of opposition, saying they were lucky not to lose terribly during the 15th January 2026 general election in which he emerged number one, beating his closest rival, Mr. Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu of the National Unity Platform(NUP) with over five million votes.
During his first address to the Nation after his declaration by the Electoral Commission, President Museveni spoke from his country home in Rwakitura, Kiruhuura district, President Museveni said that some members of the opposition, having seen their fate ahead of the election, planned to cause instability, only to be thwarted by security forces working hand in hand with local people.
“Something happened in Butambala. A character called Kivumbi was defeated. The plan was that where NUP is defeated, gangs with pangas (machetes) should attack the polling stations, and that’s how they did. When Kivumbi was defeated, they came with pangas to the station and seven of them were shot dead from there. I knew the plan that if they don’t win, they cut people.” Mr Museveni told the nation.
“Of course, we were ready to deal with them decisively and even better. Most of the NUP people refused, came and told me the whole story. This is not the first time. The other year, when there were riots in Kenya, the same riots were going to happen here, but the people they wanted to use came and told me, and we defused them.” He said, adding, “So, I am advising this small group of traitors. But they are working with foreigners. Some homosexual groups. Our interest is that they should stop this and never do it again.”
The NRM party National Chairperson, who has led Uganda since 1986, explained that “the opposition were lucky because ten million of my people did not turn up. They would have been embarrassed badly because we received eight million votes, but remember, when we reviewed the membership on May 6th. We had 21 million members, and 18 million of them are voters. But we are now talking of eight million who turned up, and many of them who did not turn up are our members.”
In the Thursday election, President Museveni garnered 7,946,772 votes (71.65%), whereas NUP Presidential candidate, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi, got 2,741,238 votes, representing 24.7%. Kyagulanyi, who was in hiding, rejected the results, saying the election was characterised by ballot stuffing and military interference. The Electoral Commission boss, Justice Simon Byabakama, while delivering the results to the nation, said the election was free and fair.
Attributing his score to a peaceful environment brought and promoted by the NRM government and good programs like the Parish Development Model(PDM), the President-elect said that, like in the past, Ugandans were not willing to listen to the message of the opposition.
“If all our members turned up, there would be no opposition in Uganda. I can assure you. This is because we are beginning to go back a bit to the principles of NRM. If you remember the election of 1996, people were not willing to listen to the stories of the opposition from Ssemwogerere and he had no impact on many parts of the country because that time we had dealt with the needs of the people. People were so united. When I was campaigning, I saw maximum Unity coming back because in many areas it is largely because of peace, like in Northern Uganda and West Nile, some parts of Eastern Uganda.” Mr. Museveni said
“In some of the areas, it has given people hope that we can get rid of poverty. Then, the skilling hubs. These few skilling hubs that we had scattered have given people hope that there is a way for children who have had no hope to become very useful with just six months of training. This excited a lot of people.” He added
He saluted Ugandans, including the NUP members, for maintaining the peace, noting that some Ugandans have grievances, “but once you go beyond a certain stage, they understand. In fact, some of them have told me they don’t want their country to be like Libya.”
He also told his guests, including the NRM top brass and Central Executive Committee, Speakers of Parliament and religious leaders, that he intends to support investors to enhance the tax base and improve the roads, education, and health services.
“In the coming Kisanja(term), we shall have two categories of efforts. Category one is supporting the rich because many Ugandans are now rich. The ones with commercial firms, the ones with factories, hotels, including the foreigners who are coming with factories. We shall continue supporting them through Uganda Development Bank and other instruments. Now, as we speak, 70% of homesteads are in the money economy.