In his victory speech following Uganda’s 2026 presidential election, President Yoweri Museveni made several pointed remarks about the opposition, foreign interference, and Uganda’s rich historical and cultural legacy.
Speaking at his country home in Rwakitura, Museveni expressed his confidence in Uganda’s strength and resilience, while also warning of the dangers posed by external actors and local political foes.
“Uganda is a land of Martyrs,” President Museveni began, reflecting on the nation’s history of resistance against oppression. “The martyrs were killed for refusing to do bad things. The one who killed them, Kabaka Mwanga II, disappeared as well. Be careful with Ugandans, you people; be very careful.”
He emphasised the strength and sense of fairness inherent in Uganda’s diverse tribes, citing the Banyankore as an example of a people who value honor and fairness, as opposed to the surprise attack tactics often associated with foreign cultures.
“Europeans like surprise attacks. They think surprise attacks are fighting,” Museveni continued. “That’s cowardice. When a Munyankore is coming to fight you, he clears his throat first, to alert you. He turns to face you, and then you insult him. This is the culture of this place. If you have got foreign cultures, please be careful with Ugandans.”
The speech also addressed the issue of voter bribery, a tactic that opposition groups were accused of using in the lead-up to the election. Museveni criticised opposition leaders for allegedly attempting to bribe voters with small amounts of money, stating, “What can Shs10,000 buy in Uganda? Fish? Some of our people may accept such a small amount of money because they are poor. We must now fight poverty.”
The president also pointed to the arrest of a local priest, Rev. Fr. Deusdedit Ssekabira, for his involvement with opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine.
“When we arrested a priest in Masaka, they came to me and said they wanted me to release him. I said no,” Museveni said. “We can release him, no problem, but first, he needs to tell the truth and promise to stop whatever he was doing.”
Museveni further asserted that his government was well aware of opposition plans, alleging that NUP (National Unity Platform) supporters had resorted to violence when they lost in certain regions.
“We knew all their plans. That where NUP people lose, they should attack people with pangas,” he claimed. “Some of the people who rejected their plans came and told me. They are working with some foreign people who fund them.”
He went on: “The problem with these traitors, like Kyagulanyi, is that they don’t understand that Uganda is a land of Martyrs. In my New Year’s message, I made reference to this. It seems some people don’t listen to my speeches. It was deliberate. I don’t just speak.”
The president also touched on violent clashes during the elections, particularly in Butambala, where opposition supporters allegedly attempted to disrupt the results. “Some of our opposition [members] are wrong but not terrorists. Some of them are wrong and terrorists,” Museveni said.
“In Butambala, a character called Kivumbi [Muwanga] was defeated. Then they planned that where NUP is defeated, gangs with pangas should attack the polling station. And that’s what they did. When they lost, they tried to attack the polling station, and seven of them were shot dead.”
Despite these criticisms, Museveni concluded by reaffirming his commitment to Uganda’s continued progress and unity, asserting that the country’s future is rooted in its cultural strength and history of resistance.
