Masaka City’s Improved 2026 Presidential Vote Energising NRM Ahead of LC I Elections

How Masaka City’s Improved 2026 Presidential Vote Is Energising NRM Ahead of LC I Elections

By Brian Mugenyi

mugenyijj@gmail.com

MASAKA CITY, UGANDA — As the National Resistance Movement (NRM) intensifies preparations for the Local Council I (LC I) elections, party leaders in Masaka City say the improved presidential performance registered in the 2026 General Election has injected fresh confidence into efforts to strengthen grassroots structures in one of Uganda’s traditional opposition strongholds.

The renewed mobilisation follows engagements between President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Masaka City NRM Chairperson and Presidential Assistant for National Mobilisation Rogers Bulegeya, and Masaka City Woman Member of Parliament and State Minister for Local Government Hon. Justine Nameere, who have been discussing strategies to consolidate the party’s support across Masaka City and the Greater Masaka sub-region.

According to NRM leaders, President Museveni’s presidential vote share in Masaka City increased from about 21 percent in the 2021 General Election to approximately 33 percent in the 2026 polls, despite the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) retaining the city mayoralty and parliamentary seats. They describe the increase as evidence that sustained grassroots mobilisation is beginning to yield results.

For the party, the forthcoming LC I elections are viewed as a critical test of whether those gains can be translated into stronger village leadership, which forms the foundation of the NRM’s political organisation.

Rogers Bulegeya, who coordinated the party’s mobilisation campaign throughout the city ahead of the general election, said the improved presidential vote demonstrates the importance of consistent engagement with communities.

“The 2026 General Election results demonstrated that consistent grassroots mobilisation works. Our focus now is to consolidate those gains during the LC I elections by ensuring every village has active and united NRM structures. Strong village leadership is the foundation for future electoral success,” Bulegeya said.

He said the party is concentrating on strengthening village committees, recruiting young leaders and ensuring every polling village has an active mobilisation team capable of promoting government programmes and engaging residents throughout the electoral cycle.

Working alongside aspiring party leaders, youth groups and local mobilisation teams, Bulegeya spearheaded extensive door-to-door campaigns across villages and parishes, promoting government wealth creation programmes, SACCO formation, youth empowerment initiatives and household economic transformation.

Supporters say the strategy helped reconnect many residents with the NRM’s development agenda and improved interaction between local communities and party leaders.

The mobilisation drive culminated in President Museveni’s campaign rally at Masaka Liberation Square, where thousands of supporters attended alongside senior NRM officials, including former Speaker Anita Annet Among and First National Vice-Chairperson Hajji Moses Kigongo.

Beyond election campaigns, Bulegeya has continued promoting youth empowerment through the Greater Masaka Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub, while supporting communication and public engagement through the NRM Media Secretariat in Masaka City.

The party believes these initiatives complement its grassroots mobilisation by creating employment opportunities and increasing interaction between government programmes and local communities.

At the national level, NRM Director of Finance and Administration Hajjat Medina Naham Ojwanga has urged party members to approach the LC I elections with unity and discipline.

“The LC I elections are critical because they strengthen the party from the village level. We call upon all NRM supporters to remain disciplined, united and peaceful as they elect leaders who will continue mobilising communities behind the party’s development agenda,” Ojwanga said.

Nevertheless, party officials acknowledge that challenges remain.

Limited funding, inadequate logistical support and internal competition for party positions continue to affect grassroots mobilisation in some areas. Leaders argue that increased investment in village structures and local mobilisation teams would enable the party to consolidate the gains achieved during the presidential election.

Bulegeya believes the LC I elections present another opportunity to strengthen the party’s organisation before future national contests.

“Our objective is to strengthen every village structure, support our grassroots leaders and ensure the NRM continues expanding its support in Masaka City. The LC I elections provide another opportunity to demonstrate the strength of our organisation,” he said.

Political observers note that while the NRM still faces stiff competition in Masaka City, the increased presidential vote has provided the party with renewed momentum. Whether that momentum translates into stronger performance in the LC I elections will depend largely on its ability to maintain grassroots mobilisation, preserve party unity and address local community concerns.

For the NRM, the village elections are more than a contest for local leadership—they are the first building block in shaping the party’s long-term political future in Greater Masaka.

 

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