As Ugandans welcome the New Year, political, religious, and cultural leaders have renewed calls for peace, unity, and respect for the rule of law ahead of the 2026 General Election, which starts this month.
The leaders called upon State actors and institutions involved in election management to exercise impartiality to ensure active and peaceful participation by citizens in choosing their leaders. Ugandans head to the polls on January 15 to elect a president, Members of Parliament (MPs), and local government leaders for a term of five years.
The Secretary General of the Inter-religious Council of Uganda (IRCU), Mr Joshua Kitakule, urged Ugandans to usher in the New Year with responsibility, peace, and discipline. He also urged motorists to drive carefully during the festive season and citizens to commit to peaceful elections. ‘As Inter-Religious Council of Uganda, we encourage people to turn up and vote peacefully, because leadership begins with participation and people should not stay away from the polls only to later complain about poor leaders elected to national responsibilities,’ he said. Mr Kitakule also condemned domestic violence, noting that as a God-fearing nation, Ugandans must reject abuses in homes, especially against women and children.
‘Families ought to manage anger, stress, and frustration without resorting to violence; hardship is never a justification for beating children or partners. We call upon the security agencies to also act professionally and protect citizens’ rights during the festive and election period,’ he added. Mr Kitakule asked the public to exercise restraint in what he described as a season of pressure, and urged Ugandans to celebrate responsibly and protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. Similarly, the Bunyoro Kingdom premier Andrew Byakutaaga warned that intolerance threatens national unity and called on political contestants and supporters to exercise restraint and avoid chaos as the country heads to the polls that start this month.
‘We call upon all political actors and their supporters to refrain from violent or chaotic actions and to stop ill-talk against one another,’ he said. Mr Byakutaaga urged voters to make informed choices at the ballot and elect leaders based on ability and service rather than rhetoric.
‘Ugandans should vote for leaders who are able and willing to act and serve differently, not those who only know how to talk.’ In the same regard, Mr Thomas Tayebwa, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, said 2026 brings renewed hope and responsibility as Ugandans prepare for the General Election. He called on Ugandans to embrace peace, tolerance, and unity, and to participate in the democratic processes with respect for one another. ‘Beyond the elections, we should maintain momentum in fighting poverty and developing ourselves, our families, and our communities,’ he said.
Mr Tayebwa added: ‘As Parliament, we will continue to support policies that create jobs, grow our economy, and improve the well-being of our people. Let us work together with discipline and purpose to build a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Uganda.’
Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the Opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party, Mr David Lewis Rubongoya called on security agencies and other State institutions to work towards ensuring that the elections are violence- free and fair. Mr Rubongoya said in 2025, several NUP supporters were arrested, violated, and detained on politically motivated charges.
‘We call for peace to prevail in 2026. This previous year, we lost many Ugandans in unknown circumstances, and the perpetrators have not been brought to book,’ the NUP secretary general said. He added:’Security forces should stop mistreating Ugandans; we want a country where a person can freely express rights without being sabotaged in favour of the ruling government.’
Conservative Party presidential candidate Elton Joseph Mabirizi, described 2026 as a moment of national reflection on whether the country is progressing or merely drifting along.
‘Uganda enters this year at a defining crossroads – behind us lie decades of unfulfilled constitutional promises, excessive centralisation of power, and weakened institutions,” he said. Mr Mabirizi urged all government institutions, including the electoral body, to fulfil their mandate.
He said: ‘The Electoral Commission (EC) should demonstrate independence in both word and action. Security agencies should remain strictly non-partisan in politics, and the media should serve the public interest without fear, and the Judiciary should uphold the supremacy of the Constitution, regardless of pressure.”
Mr Robert Kasibante, the presidential candidate for the National Peasants Party (NPP), described 2026 as a defining moment for Uganda as they choose their leaders again through the ballot. He urged Ugandans to turn up in good numbers to vote and to decide the destiny of their country.
‘I call upon every Ugandan of voting age to rise early, turn up in big numbers, and vote peacefully. Let no one surrender their voice through fear, apathy, or misinformation. Your vote is your power and all voters ought to remain at the polling stations to witness the integrity of their vote,” Mr Kasibante said.
Mr Nathan Nandala Mafabi, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) presidential candidate, urged Ugandans to vote for change. He called on the EC and the security agencies to protect the citizens and their property and to ensure a fair, free, and peaceful election. ”We believe this election is going to be a determining factor for us as we are going to change the government without using the bullet,” he said.
Mr Mafabi added: ‘This will be the first time in Uganda that we are changing government from one president to another using our ballot paper.” Maj Gen (Rtd) Mugisha Muntu, the presidential candidate of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), called for peaceful, free, and fair elections in the New Year. He appealed to the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces, Uganda Police Force, and other organs to respect human rights in their line of duty and not brutalise Ugandans as has been witnessed.
‘I pray that we can have peaceful, free, and fair elections despite those who don’t care about the future of Uganda. As we head to the Election Day, Ugandans must choose leaders who are capable of transforming the country’s socio- economic status for a better nation,’ Mr Muntu stated.