Presidential candidate Mubarak Munyagwa of the Common Man’s Party is today expected to resume his campaign trail in Iganga District in the Busoga sub-region, his second stop after launching in Kawempe on Monday.
Munyagwa confirmed the development in a phone interview, saying preparations had been finalised. ‘I will be in Iganga today, I will sleep there,’ he said.
The candidate had earlier cancelled visits to Bugiri and Bugweri districts, choosing instead to campaign in Namuwongo, Kampala on Wednesday.
Iganga, with a population of 426,958 people according to the 2024 National Population and Housing Census, faces a string of challenges that residents hope will be addressed during the campaigns.
Poor road infrastructure remains one of the district’s biggest concerns, with rural roads often impassable in rainy seasons, limiting trade, transport, and access to health and education services.
Youth unemployment and poverty are also widespread, forcing many households to rely on subsistence farming.
The health sector is under pressure from drug shortages, understaffed facilities and long distances to access care. Education is equally affected by a lack of qualified teachers, dilapidated classrooms, and high dropout rates, especially among girls.
Communities continue to struggle with access to clean water as broken boreholes push families to depend on unsafe sources. Land disputes, corruption in public offices, teenage pregnancies, and cases of gender-based violence further complicate life in the district.
Agriculture, the main livelihood for many, remains unproductive due to poor markets, low prices, and limited access to modern tools or extension services.
Locals who spoke ahead of Munyagwa’s visit voiced frustration with unfulfilled promises by President Museveni and other politicians.
‘We have a problem of poor roads, they are small and are murram, this hinders us from transporting our merchandise across the district,’ said George Ivulabe, who also called for security lights to curb robbery.
At Iganga market, vendor Brenda Nangobi accused local leaders of failing to deliver services because of graft. ‘We have an issue of corruption in this district, we would be far with the money given to us but we are in absolute poverty,’ she said.
Munyagwa launched his campaign on September 29 in Kampala, promising to address both national and local concerns as he challenges President Museveni in the 2026 elections.
For Iganga’s residents, the key test remains whether campaign pledges will bring lasting change.