By Samuel Ssenono
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has issued a detailed directive to National Resistance Movement structures across the country, ordering an aggressive last-mile mobilisation campaign aimed at increasing voter turnout and reducing invalid votes in the upcoming elections.
In a letter dated 12 January 2026 and addressed to chairpersons and executive members at branch, ward and village level, Museveni reflects on past elections in 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021, saying complacency within party ranks has contributed to low voter turnout and a high number of invalid votes.
He attributes the problem to voter ignorance and weak voter education, and calls on party structures to take responsibility for changing the trend at grassroots level.
63 members, clear targets
Under what he terms performance-based last mile mobilisation, Museveni directs that each village executive mobilisation team of 63 members must mobilise and physically move with at least four voters each to polling stations, translating into 252 voters per village team.
In highly populated urban areas such as Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono, each of the 63 members is required to mobilise at least seven voters, bringing the target to 441 voters per team in those centres.
Using an estimate of about 71,000 villages nationwide, Museveni projects that the strategy could potentially yield approximately 18.2 million votes.
He instructs branches to immediately convene village meetings and assign responsibilities to each of the 63 mobilisation team members, referred to as Abasagguzi, to avoid what he calls Okukongoola.
Recording voters and tracking performance
The President also orders strict record keeping. Exercise books are to be used to register mobilised voters who consent, including their names and phone contacts where available.
He says the records will help reconcile party figures with Electoral Commission numbers and allow real-time tracking of performance from village to parish, sub county, municipality, district and city level. He describes this as accountability-based leadership and mobilisation.
Help the elderly and persons with disabilities
Museveni directs executive leaders at village, branch and ward level to volunteer support for elderly voters and persons with disabilities who may struggle to reach polling stations.
He encourages youth league members to take the lead in assisting vulnerable voters. He also notes that voters with visual impairment are legally allowed to choose someone to help them vote, and urges party executives to be available where requested.
Early arrival and security vigilance
On timing, Museveni instructs all members to be at polling stations early, ideally by 7am when polls open, to maximise turnout and streamline voting.
He also urges vigilance and open communication in case of security concerns or disruptions, directing party members to share their contact details with security personnel deployed across the country so issues can be addressed quickly.
Same-day results retrieval
Museveni further orders that election results and the mobilisation exercise books be retrieved on the same day by each district and reported directly to the NRM Electoral Commission. He says this is intended to support a robust and accountable electoral process.
“Numbers don’t lie”
Museveni called for unity, discipline and commitment in executing the directives, saying collective effort is required to secure a successful election outcome and reaffirm the NRM’s position as a party that listens and responds to the needs of the people.
