President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has declared that Uganda has “practically no opposition,” arguing that the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) remains overwhelmingly popular and only faces challenges due to voter apathy and alleged electoral malpractice by opposition actors.
In his post-election statement issued after the conclusion of the 2026 general election campaigns, Museveni said the NRM’s record in restoring peace, stabilising the economy and driving socio-economic transformation has made it difficult for any credible opposition force to thrive.
“Otherwise, there is practically no opposition in Uganda,” Museveni said.
He claimed that the opposition has mainly survived through what he described as lies, intimidation and election fraud, insisting that the introduction of biometric voter verification (BVV) machines weakened their ability to manipulate results.
“The death-knell to the opposition were the BVV machines. With the BVV machines, the Opposition’s life-line of cheating, was gone,” he said.
NRM Membership Shows ‘Real Balance of Forces’
Museveni backed his remarks with NRM membership figures, saying the party’s internal register shows it commands nearly the entire voting population.
“Our registered members as of the 6th of May, 2025, were 21 million where those old enough to vote were 18.5 million. All the registered voters in Uganda were 21 million,” Museveni stated.
He argued that if all NRM supporters turned up to vote, the ruling party would win by a landslide margin. “This means 88% support for the NRM. That is the real balance of forces in the country as per now,” he said.
Museveni added that even with existing challenges such as corruption, poor feeder roads and issues in the health sector, the NRM’s dominance remains intact.
Low Turnout Blamed on ‘Najja-kulya’ Leaders
However, Museveni admitted that many NRM supporters fail to vote, blaming this on selfish politicians within the ruling party and the opposition whom he described as “Najja-kulya”—loosely meaning leaders who enter politics mainly to enrich themselves.
“The NRM side, do not interact closely with our members, during Primaries they use violence and unfair practices, etc. which annoy our members,” he said.
He also suggested that the presence of NRM independents defeating official flag bearers is evidence of frustration among party supporters.
Opposition Accused of Violence
In his statement, Museveni further accused opposition groups, particularly the National Unity Platform (NUP), of orchestrating violence and intimidation aimed at discouraging voter participation.
“You remember the 28 elders that were cut by machete (panga) wielders in Masaka in 2021? That was the work of NUP,” Museveni alleged.
He claimed the opposition had planned further “insurrection” during the current election period but said security agencies prevented it.
Call for Reconciliation
Despite his sharp criticism of opposition groups, Museveni called on Ugandans to treat all political players fairly and pursue reconciliation after the elections.
“I call upon Ugandans to abandon any bad behaviour and act fairly to all, even opposition,” he said.
Museveni signed off his message as “The Old Man with a Hat,” maintaining his trademark tone and branding that has become a feature of his recent public communications.
