Kyagulanyi maintains strict ‘no-independents’ policy during Mpigi campaign

NUP leader Robert Kyagulanyi has pledged to launch an independent inquiry into the alleged brutalization of fishing communities if elected in 2026.

KAMPALA, Uganda — National Unity Platform leader Robert Kyagulanyi has reaffirmed a strict “no-independents” policy, urging his supporters in Mpigi district to reject non-party candidates in favor of official NUP flag-bearers for the 2026 elections.

During a campaign stop at Mitala Maria in Buwama sub-county, Kyagulanyi told supporters that the party must remain unified under a single banner to ensure political victory. The directive comes at a time when the party is grappling with an increasing number of NUP-leaning aspirants who have been de-nominated or forced to withdraw from their races.

Kyagulanyi appeared alongside Mathias Walukagga, the NUP flag-bearer for Busiro East, whose nomination was recently overturned by the Electoral Commission over a lack of academic qualifications. The NUP leader described such de-nominations as a troubling trend and accused the commission of applying stricter standards to the opposition than to the ruling National Resistance Movement.

“This is not about the law; it is about fear of the people’s power,” Kyagulanyi said.

Inquiry into fisheries abuses

In addition to party discipline, Kyagulanyi pledged to launch an independent inquiry into the alleged brutalization of fishing communities by security forces. Speaking at Katende playground in Kiringente sub-county, he promised that a NUP government would ensure personal accountability for officers accused of human rights abuses on Uganda’s lakes.

He argued that the militarization of the fisheries sector has pushed economic contributors into poverty through arbitrary arrests and torture. Kyagulanyi also questioned President Yoweri Museveni’s recent decision to rename the Fisheries Protection Unit as the 155 Marines Battalion, suggesting the move does not address the underlying issues of misconduct.

Guarding the 2021 vote

The campaign also touched on recent claims by President Museveni that 2.7 million of his votes were stolen by the opposition in the 2021 general election. Kyagulanyi used the president’s remarks to emphasize the importance of vote protection in the upcoming cycle.

“If Museveni says his votes were lost and we say ours were stolen, that makes protection of the vote even more important,” Kyagulanyi said.

He concluded his tour of Mpigi by calling for national unity, flanked by local flag-bearers including Teddy Nambooze, Peter Kawuki and Martin Ssejjemba. He cautioned supporters against division, stating that the Uganda of the future would not be built on tribal lines