Fellow Ugandans, as we navigate our nation’s political landscape, it is our duty to scrutinize the promises made by those seeking our trust. The recently unveiled manifesto by the National Unity Platform (NUP) is, on the surface, a document filled with attractive melodies. It sings of freedom, jobs, and services. But as a patriot who has witnessed the steady, purposeful march of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) in building our nation, I feel compelled to ask you to listen more closely. Beyond the sweet melody, there is a troubling lack of substance, a disregard for reality, and a dangerous naivety that threatens to undo the progress we have fought so hard to achieve.
Let us examine this manifesto not out of malice, but out of a deep-seated love for Uganda and a commitment to the truth.
First, their cry to “Restore Freedom and Constitutionalism” is a direct insult to the very legal and constitutional order the NRM government has painstakingly built over decades. Our Constitution, amended through a democratic process with overwhelming parliamentary support, is the supreme law of the land. To suggest that freedom is absent is to ignore the peace and stability we enjoy—a peace secured by the NRM from the ruins of past chaos. Their slogan is not a plan; it is a veiled attempt to rally discontent without acknowledging the existing framework of rights and responsibilities we all operate under.
Secondly, their promise to “End Corruption” rings hollow. The NRM, under the steadfast leadership of President Museveni, has established robust institutions like the Inspectorate of Government and the anti-corruption courts to fight this vice. Corruption is a global cancer, and while the fight continues, it is the NRM that has the political will and institutional experience to wage it. Can a party with no governance experience, whose own internal accountability mechanisms are opaque, realistically claim to eradicate what established governments globally struggle with? This is a fantasy designed to win votes, not a feasible strategy.
Most alarming is the economic plan. Promising “10 Million New Jobs by 2032” by leveraging manufacturing (60%) and tourism is not just ambitious; it is economically illiterate. It is a number plucked from the air without a shred of a viable implementation roadmap. The NRM’s approach has been deliberate and evidence-based: attracting foreign direct investment, supporting parish development models, and boosting agro-industrialization. We build jobs from the ground up, not with fantastical numbers from a manifesto drafted in an office. Their promise of a “Tech-Driven Economy” similarly copies the NRM’s existing Digital Transformation Agenda, but without the foundational work of laying the National Backbone Infrastructure.
Furthermore, their pledge to “Empower Regional Governance through Real Devolution” is a coded language for a federalist system that risks re-igniting the sectarian and tribal divisions that once plagued our nation. The NRM’s model of decentralization is careful and considered, strengthening local administrations without compromising national unity. We have seen how divisive politics can tear a country apart; the NUP’s vague “devolution” is a slippery slope back to that dark past.
Finally, where is the gratitude and strategic plan for our security forces? This manifesto is silent on national defence and the immense sacrifice of the UPDF in maintaining our sovereignty and regional peace. It is the security provided by the NRM government that allows any party to even hold a rally and publish a manifesto. To take this peace for granted is the height of irresponsibility.
Fellow Ugandans, the NUP manifesto is a beautiful castle built on sand. It is strong on poetry but dangerously weak on policy. It criticizes without acknowledging the foundational progress made, and it promises the moon without a rocket to get there.
The NRM’s record is not without its challenges, but it is a record of tangible, hard-won progress. We have built schools, hospitals, and roads. We have maintained peace and stability for over 38 years the essential bedrock for any development. Our economic plans are sober, structured, and ongoing. In this critical moment of our nation’s journey, let us not be swayed by the politics of emotion and empty promises. Let us choose the proven path of steady, secure, and sustainable development with the NRM over an unproven and risky alternative.
For God and My Country.
Hakim Kyeswa
NRM Cadre & Former NRM CEC Candidate.
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