KAMPALA. The National Unity Platform (NUP) Presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi alias has publicly admitted that the party is financially constrained and still needs support to runs its activities especially the ongoing campaigns.
Speaking at the party headquarters on Saturday during the unpacking of NUP manifesto -an activity that was done by youth in the party and hired drama actors and artists.
“The fact is , we still need money, Hon.Balimwezo[Ronald ] the other day whispered to me that we need more money .Lets contribute money and support this cause ,”he said
He revealed the party currently spends a lot of money on fuel due to security divisions they encounter on the campaign trail which requires them to use longer village routes to reach campaign venues .
Mr Kyagulanyi asked singer and Busiro East Constituency Parliamentary flag bearer Mathias Walukagga to compose a song with lyrics detailing the NUP manifesto .
“Hon Walukagga is good at composing songs and I am sure he will do a good job ,” he said
The NUP manifesto for the 2026 general election promises to end corruption, create jobs, and restore democracy after nearly four decades of President Yoweri Museveni’s rule.
The manifesto highlights 11 priorities, including restoring constitutionalism, ending wasteful government spending, improving healthcare and education, and stopping land grabbing.
It also pledges to create 10 million jobs by 2032, roll out a nationwide school feeding programme, and turn Uganda into a technology-driven economy.
Poverty
NUP cited stark figures to justify its agenda.
More than 7.3 million Ugandans live below the poverty line, while half of the country’s youth are unemployed or out of school.
Only 3.9% of Uganda’s 159,000 km road network is paved, and 82 districts lack a fully equipped hospital.
Public debt has surged to 116 trillion shillings ($30 billion), while corruption is estimated to cost 10 trillion shillings annually.
The document also criticises what it calls ethnic imbalance in state appointments, saying western Uganda dominates top jobs in government agencies. It highlights neglect of the diaspora, which remitted $1.56 billion in 2024/25, the country’s single largest source of foreign exchange.
Museveni, 81, has been in power since 1986 and is seeking another term in 2026 to extend his rule to 40 years . He has defended his record, pointing to stability, economic growth and infrastructure expansion .