Author: Asuman Bisiika. PHOTO/FILE
We mourned the demise of the late Sarah Nyirabashitsi Mateke, former Kisoro District Woman MP and minister of State for Defence. As is always the wont of politicians in these fair climes, her funeral was turned into a political rally. In that vein (vain?), Mr Eddie Kwizera, one of the MPs from Kisoro District, suggested that the NRM candidature for the (then expected) parliamentary by-election be ring-fenced for someone from the Mateke family. The suggested lady from the Mateke family declined the offer and is said to have returned to her digs outside the country. As I write this, the process of electing Sarah Mateke’s replacement is coming to a conclusion. As is now known to be commonplace with NRM Primaries, there is said to have been anomalies. And so, a candidate in the NRM Primaries offered to stand as an independent in the elections. The Electoral Commission of the NRM should be called out. Why is there a growing number of so-called NRM-leaning independent candidates? What does this phenomenon tell about the organisational and strategic management of the party? Plus, the big question: Will this poor management of NRM Primaries continue into the 2026 General Elections? Which leads us to the question: What issues will influence the 2026 General Elections? To put it in plain Lhukonzo: What will Mr Museveni tell Ugandans?
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Some time back, Mr Museveni is said to have expressed frustration over the failure or limited absorption of the Parish Development Model (PDM). Why was the implementation of PDM moving in slow motion (even when funds were said to be available)? Why has the money not reached the bona fide beneficiaries? The problem lies in the structural organisation of power and the challenge of governance in Uganda. PDM has so far achieved one thing: the recruitment of parish chiefs and town agents as permanent employees of the Government of Uganda. But on impact, PDM is very low.In normal circumstances, the sub-county should have been adopted as the principal administrative unit for policy absorption. Why? Because the parish, as a unit of a local government authority, has structural limitations. Plu: Mr Amama Mbabazi (from whose 2026 manifesto this model was copied) had identified the sub-county as the principal administrative unit to drive national development and growth.We are currently less than 14 months to the 2026 general elections. There are no national issues that one would expect to excite the voting population into the 2026 elections campaign. The novelty of Bobi Wine’s 2021 presidential candidature is not on the cards. (Plus: the performance of NUP Members of Parliament has been decimal. There has not been any formal policy influence from the NUP lot. Even sophisticated debating skills have been lacking).The debate on Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) is gone. The promise of the production of the first barrel of oil will not excite Ugandans. Ugandans are now weary of waiting for oil; they would rather fight for coffee than being excited by prospect of oil.So, what national issues will influence the 2026 general elections? None. Yes, none; save for Mr Museveni vending PDM. I can bet my royal inheritance that Mr Museveni will in early-to-mid next year go on a countrywide promotion of PDM. As is very commonplace, the Opposition will accuse him of early campaigning using his position as head of government. He will not be bothered with those accusations. And the next Financial Year, the budget for PDM will be increased exponetially. Dont wink... And so, Ugandans will just go into a tasteless and non-issue 2026 elections.
Mr Bisiika is the former executive editor of the East African Flagpost. [email protected]
