Kigali, Rwanda – A coalition of nine political parties without presidential candidates has formally endorsed President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni ahead of Uganda’s general elections scheduled for Thursday, January 15, 2026.
The endorsement was announced by Stella Birah Nambuya, President of the Deliberate Vote and leader of the Republican Women and Youth Party, during a press briefing at Namugo House in Seeta, Mukono Municipality.
The leaders of the said parties also met the Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja in Kampala. Nambuya said the decision followed months of internal consultations and a detailed review of all presidential contenders’ manifestos, beginning in August.
The coalition, operating under the banner of the Deliberate Vote, brings together the Republican Women and Youth Party, Activist Party, Congress Service Volunteer Organization and Liberal Democratic Transparency.
Others are the Forum for Integrity in Leadership, People’s Development Party, Society for Peace and Development, Uganda Patriotic Movement and the National Economic Empowerment Dialogue.
According to Nambuya, the group has also attracted backing from other political actors, including members of the Uganda People’s Congress, DAF, and representatives from the Democratic Party.
Nambuya described the alliance as a shift toward what she termed “politics of reason,” arguing that Uganda’s political culture is gradually moving away from mass rallies and propaganda toward issue-based engagement and solution-oriented leadership.
She said the coalition assessed eight major presidential candidates and concluded that Museveni’s manifesto offered clearer priorities and more practical responses, particularly on economic empowerment and ensuring a stable political transition.
Rather than relying on large public mobilizations, the Deliberate Vote has pursued a targeted outreach strategy through meetings, office consultations, SMS campaigns, video calls, and direct voter engagement.
Nambuya claimed this approach has already translated into a projected 3.3 million additional votes for President Museveni nationwide.
She provided regional projections to illustrate the coalition’s anticipated impact. In Kampala, which has more than 1.2 million registered voters, the initiative expects to deliver about 439,000 votes.
Wakiso district, with over 1.15 million registered voters, is projected to contribute 280,900 votes, while Mukono District is expected to deliver 160,400 votes out of its 355,275 registered voters.
Nambuya noted that these figures include areas where Museveni had previously recorded weaker support, suggesting a widening base driven by direct party mobilization.
She urged voters to turn up early on polling day, follow electoral procedures, and vote for the president alongside their preferred woman member of parliament and directly elected MPs.
According to her, the endorsement reflects a collective decision by party members to support a leader they believe can maintain stability and protect Uganda’s political and economic gains.
The announcement was echoed by Phionah Arinaitwe of the Uganda People’s Congress Women League, who praised the Deliberate Vote as a unifying platform for women across party lines and encouraged female voters to back Museveni.
NRM Secretary for Mobilization Africano Byarugaba also called for orderly voting, stressing that elections should be a process of participation rather than confrontation, with disputes handled through legal channels.
The endorsement marks a strategic consolidation that could give Museveni a decisive advantage as the country heads into the final days before the polls.
