Blocked Again - What Happened to Museveni’s Only Challenger

Retired UPDF Captain Daudi Ruhinda Maguru has been stopped by the NRM from running for president in 2026. He wanted to compete with President Museveni for the party’s top ticket.

Maguru had paid 20 million shillings to be nominated. But the NRM said he did not bring important documents like a national ID, academic papers, or people to support his nomination. Even when he came back with his degree papers from Makerere University, he still had no supporters with him.

NRM’s legal team said rules must be followed, and that Maguru’s papers were incomplete. Because of this, he was disqualified.

Now, President Museveni is the only person running to be NRM’s flag bearer. He paid 40 million shillings and has been the party’s leader since it started.

Maguru is unhappy and says he will take the party to court. He said the NRM made only one form—for Museveni—and did not give him a fair chance. This is not the first time Maguru has been blocked. He also tried and failed in 2010, 2016, and 2020.

Two other men—Julius Tumuhimbise and Briton Kiwanuka—were also blocked earlier, even after paying nomination fees. The NRM has long supported Museveni as their only choice