As Uganda gears up for the 2026 General Election, voters have been urged to keep away from politics of excitement and focus on leaders who can address critical issues affecting them.
The call was made by several speakers during a thanksgiving prayer service for Mbarara District National Resistance Movement (NRM) party chairperson, Mr Prosper Tuheise Kururagire at his home in Bukiro town Council in Mbarara District on Saturday.
The Minister for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Mr Francis Mwebesa who represented the Vice President, Maj (Rtd) Jessica Alupo at this function, told the gathering that politics of excitement will compromise them to make wrong choices of leaders.
‘You need to be careful; that music, drinks and simple handouts that some of the candidates normally use during elections will lead you to elect leaders who will not help in addressing the challenges being faced. Look at the critical issues affecting you and interrogate those who want to get elected if they are offering solutions to address them,’ Mr Mwebesa said.
He cautioned the youth, whom he said are usually used by politicians during the electioneering period for selfish interests.
‘It is mostly the young people who get excited and forget the issues that affect them, where they have come from and what the future holds for them,’ Mr Mwebesa added.
The Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Mbarara, Rev Fr Severinus Ndugwa, who presided over the ceremony, challenged Ugandans to keep away from the politics of sectarianism.
‘Whether your colour is brown or black, the tribe or religion you belong to is just an accident. We are all children of God. So, avoid any sectarian tendencies that normally surface during this election period. What is important are the services for the good of humankind,’ Fr Ndugwa said.
He also cautioned leaders to avoid segregating people because they never supported them or were of opposing political parties.
‘When elected as a leader, do not look at only those people who supported you or the political party that brought you in a position of leadership. Render services to all people equally without discrimination,’ Fr. Ndugwa appealed.
Mr Sedrack Nzeire Kaguta, the former Kiruhura District NRM party Chairperson, also brother to President Museveni, said people should not get excited about being in power or being associated with those in power to discriminate against others.
‘That clan, tribe or connections you have today will one time wane. So, do not get excited and start discriminating against one another. For some of us who have travelled around the world, you get to a situation where you can’t reach that one person you were born with, your village mate, a friend and you find someone willing to help is a foreigner. So, why do you become sectarian? You never know who will help you in future,’ Mr Nzeire said.
According to Mr Benjamin Cadet, the NRM flagbearer for Bunyaruguru Constituency in Rubirizi District, voters at times gamble when choosing leaders because of being misled.
‘Leadership is not about gambling. We need to have leaders who can move this country forward but in politics, there can be a temptation where voters may get excited and end up voting for incapable leaders. As the NRM party, we need to educate our people to make rightful decisions during elections,’ he said.
Mr Tuheise, whose party has been in power for four decades, said they have since launched a sensitisation campaign targeting, especially the youth, on how to make the right decisions during elections.
‘The challenge we have been having is with the youth who are easily taken up by excitement during elections. We are sensitising them on the choice of leaders they should vote for but also trying to address some of the issues they face, especially unemployment,’ he said.