President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has formally received the declaration of his re-election as President of Uganda, pledging to prioritize poverty eradication, unity, and disciplined governance in the new term.
President Museveni, was on 17th January at Lubowa declared the winner of the recently concluded Presidential elections with more than 7.9 million votes (71.6%) according to provisional Electoral Commission figures, was officially presented with the declaration form by the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Central Executive Committee (CEC) at his country home in Rwakitura.
He beat his main challenger Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine of the opposition National Unity Platform who polled over 2.7 million votes (24.4%) and 6 others.
In his acceptance remarks, the President Museveni began by thanking God and the First Lady, Maama Janet Museveni, for her steadfast support in the last 55 years of struggle since 1971.
He credited the win to collective effort, praising NRM members, party leaders, and institutions that he said played a critical role.
The President also acknowledged the contribution of national institutions and community leaders, including the armed forces, religious leaders, and cultural leaders.
Reflecting on voter turnout, President Museveni said a significant number of NRM supporters did not vote, a matter he said the party must study going forward.
According to the Electoral Commission a total of 11.33 million votes were cast on the 15th January 2026 out of 21.64 million voters registered by the electoral body.
President Museveni highlighted government programs such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) and presidential skilling hubs, saying they have begun to restore hope among Ugandans.
However, he acknowledged uneven implementation and said the government must critically assess what is working and what is not.
On security, the President warned against what he described as isolated acts of violence linked to political extremism, while stressing that peace in Uganda is maintained not only by security forces but by citizens themselves.
He cautioned groups he accused of working with foreign interests to abandon violence.
Looking ahead to the new term, President Museveni outlined two broad economic priorities: supporting wealth creators to grow the economy and intensifying efforts to eliminate household poverty.
The President also emphasized the importance of free education in government schools, improved healthcare delivery, and strict action against corruption.
On job creation, President Museveni said the focus would remain on agriculture, manufacturing, and the private sector, rather than public service employment.
Turning to regional integration and natural resources, the President said Uganda’s internal market is insufficient on its own and pointed to the East African Community as a critical economic opportunity.
He confirmed that Uganda’s oil production is expected to begin this year and said revenues would be invested in long-term national assets.
President Museveni cautioned against proposals to directly distribute oil revenues to local governments, arguing that oil is a finite resource.
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