KAMPALA, Uganda — The opposition National Unity Platform, or NUP, released its 2026-2031 Manifesto today, presenting an 11-point plan focused on a “complete reset” of Uganda’s political and economic systems. Led by presidential candidate Hon. Kyagulanyi Ssentamu Robert, widely known as Bobi Wine, the document is titled A New Uganda Now! and centers on aggressively creating jobs and instituting radical anti-corruption measures.
The party’s platform positions itself as a “solemn contract” intended to counter what it describes as a national crisis marked by economic distress and political repression. The NUP cited official figures indicating public debt reached Shs116.21 trillion (51.3% of GDP) by June 2025, and that corruption drains an estimated Shs10 trillion annually.
Economic Strategy: 10 Million New Jobs
The manifesto’s flagship economic promise is the creation of 10 million new jobs by 2032. The NUP said this goal will be driven by leveraging three primary sectors:
- Manufacturing: Targeted to contribute 60% of new employment.
- Tourism: Expected to account for 25.3% of the jobs, supported by a promised tenfold increase in funding during the first year of the new administration.
- Creative Economy and Sports: Set to generate the remaining 14.7%.
To transform the economy, the party vowed to cut taxes on essential digital devices—smartphones, computers, and internet devices—to expand access. The platform also includes establishing a National Innovation & SME Fund to finance startups, especially in e-commerce and digital trade.
Governance and Anti-Corruption Overhaul
The NUP’s governance agenda prioritizes the restoration of constitutional checks and balances.
- Constitutional Reform: The party pledged to immediately reinstate presidential term and age limits that were removed by previous constitutional amendments.
- Ending Military Trials: The manifesto commits to amending the Uganda People’s Defence Forces Act to prohibit the trial of civilians in military courts and transfer all pending civilian cases to civilian judicial institutions.
- Cost-Cutting Measures: To address rampant corruption and waste, the NUP plans to:
- Slash the Cabinet size to a maximum of 20 ministers.
- Reduce the number of Members of Parliament.
- Abolish the politically appointed offices of Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) and Resident City Commissioners (RCCs), which it described as costly and politically biased.
Devolution and Social Welfare
A significant reform proposed is the radical devolution of resources to local government. The NUP plans to progressively increase the share of the national budget allocated to local governments—where social services are delivered—from the current 8.2% to 40% by 2030.
Other key social commitments include:
- School Feeding: Implementing a Home-Grown School Feeding Program to provide hot meals to public primary school pupils, with food sourced locally to boost agriculture.
- Land Security: Implementing a new system, including the use of blockchain technology, to stop land grabbing and create a fraud-proof land registration system, guaranteeing secure land rights for all citizens.
- Debt Management: Vowing to halt “reckless borrowing” and renegotiate the country’s existing debts to a manageable level.
Kyagulanyi Ssentamu Robert asserted that the election is a clear choice between continuing the current trajectory of “poverty, corruption, and dictatorship” or standing for “A New Uganda Now.”
