Entitlement, one-term politics driving 2026 MP re-election agenda

POLITICS | The 2026 parliamentary elections is shaping into a vote of entitlement and one-party politics, with the members National Resistance Movement (NRM) appearing on early assault to the claims.

While it remains unclear if the ruling party has made deliberate plans to go into the upcoming polls by seeking a common agenda to retain all their seats while fighting for others, the patterns appear to suggest as much.

In Mitooma, Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa cautioned the electorate not to even think of replacing him in Ruhinda North, Internal affairs minister Kahinda Otafiire (Ruhinda South ), Donozio Kahonda in Ruhinda County MP and Woman MP Juliet Bashiisha.

His call came just a week after the State Minister for Cooperatives, Mr Fredrick Ngobi, warned voters in Bunyole West constituency in Butaleja District against changing their MPs in every election cycle.

While last week, as section of leaders in Tororo district took to rallying voters of West Budama South Central to allow Defence minister Jacob Oboth Oboth make it back to Parliament unopposed, the politics was dominated by a rather strange call.

Speaker Anita Among openly rooted for Cissy Namujju, a legislator facing corruption charges, while Rakai District Woman MP Juliet Kyimanyatama said it was okay for MPs to steal as long as they share some with their constituents, who she said should vote them back.

The messages appear to be coming from a template, a template that abrogates the Constitution and renders the whole idea of election a mockery.

In the clamour, the electorate has no right to scrutinise those they voted and the incumbent does not have to explain their failures or lay fresh manifesto because the voters are being told to literally ignore everything else.

“We are lucky to have Gen Otafiire in Cabinet, and that’s a voice for Mitooma as a district, and you want to lose it because you want to change an MP?” Tayebwa said.

"'Obwebembezi ti mpa ndeeseho’ [loosely translated as leadership is not for trial and error], when time comes think twice.”

"If you're going to change your MPs like new shirts, it's up to you. At our place, we give leaders time to settle and get used to Parliament because we believe when they do so, they can lobby better," Ngobi told Butaleja population

But the Opposition have warned their counterparts in NRM against one-term politics and blackmail of will of the voters.

Mr Wandera Ogalo, a former MP and political analyst, said it a desperate attempt from the NRM and warned those engaging in one-term politics were walking in pitch darkness.

"One-term politics is dangerous," he said, |"there’s no school to learn parliamentary work. You work on the job."

"It won’t work even if they try," added Butambala MP Muwanga Kivumbi.

Kivumbi argues NRM is panicking because the voters' perspective on leaders has changed.

He says the Opposition have an advantage of activism but the NRM has been playing the money game so they better seat tight

"In the Opposition,it’s slightly different especially in the stronghold you can easily be measured by how vigilant you've been, how forthright you’ve been in crusading activitism which can reward you," he said.

But to NRM director of information and publicity Emmanuel Dombo said the voter is the problem, adding that it’s time to aim at long-term solutions.

"We could increase the age requirement but also require members to have done public service to qualify," he added.

Elections in democratic dispensations are used to get incumbents to renew their mandate by subjecting themselves to the scrutiny of the electorate.

The promises they made in the previous electoral period are assessed and new ones brought into the manifesto.

But the Ugandan voters face a critical 2026 election where decisions on incumbents and those who are in Cabinet appear to sweep the ideals of scrutiny under the red carpet being laid down.