Weeks after President Museveni was declared winner of the 2026 general elections with 71 percent of the vote, National Resistance Movement (NRM) members in the diaspora have organized a victory celebration alongside the launch of a Ugandan Diaspora SACCO.
The event, scheduled to take place from March 28 to 29, 2026, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, is expected to be officiated by President Museveni.
Organizers say the gathering will go beyond celebration, focusing on uniting Ugandans abroad around a shared goal of economic empowerment.
Mr. Phillip Kakuru, Senior Presidential Advisor on Trade and NRM Patron in the Diaspora, who is leading the initiative, emphasized the financial potential of collective savings among Ugandans abroad.
“All Ugandans in the diaspora who are about 4 million people once they come together and form a Sacco with each contributing $50 monthly, which is about $600 annually, we can be able to raise a total of about $2.5 billion annually. When this money is invested back in Uganda it can boost the country’s development and economy.”
He added that such funds, categorized as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), could be channeled into sectors such as real estate, stock markets, government securities, private healthcare, and potentially the establishment of a diaspora-owned bank.
“I am very sure that once we remain committed to our dream, we shall have a diaspora Bank. Even big banks like Equity Bank started from farmers’ savings and Sri Lankan cooperative banks.”
Kakuru noted that the SACCO will be inclusive and not limited to NRM members, drawing inspiration from national programs such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga.
He explained that regardless of profession—whether doctors, engineers, teachers, or those in the informal sector—Ugandans share a common goal of improving their financial well-being.
The Cape Town launch is expected to be the first in a series of diaspora engagements planned across the United States, Canada, Scandinavia, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, China, the United Arab Emirates, and other African countries. These efforts aim to rally Ugandans worldwide to embrace President Museveni’s message of financial inclusion and poverty eradication.
Organizers say the initiative aligns with the President’s ideology of Pan-Africanism, socio-economic transformation, and patriotism.
In addition to the SACCO launch, NRM members in the diaspora will convene for a victory celebration featuring delegates from government ministries, departments and agencies, the private sector, and representatives from South Africa’s African National Congress, among other stakeholders.
According to the organizing committee led by Mr. Abu Mayanja and Umar Batambuze, the event is expected to attract between 1,500 and 2,000 delegates. Activities will include discussions on investment opportunities in Uganda and South Africa, as well as networking sessions.
Delegates will also have an opportunity to visit Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years, as well as participate in agricultural value addition tours to wineries and grape farms in the Western Cape.
The Ugandan Embassy in South Africa, led by Ambassador Paul Amoru and Deputy Ambassador Kintu Nyago, will provide on-site consular services during the event.
“The Ugandan Embassy will extend consular services like passport renewal, issuance of National Identity Cards and other services to Ugandans who will be present at the event.”
The local organizing team includes Abu Mayanja, Umar Batambuze, Musa Mutumba, Eric Kaihura, and regional coordinators from across South Africa.
Several dignitaries from Uganda are expected to attend, including Anita Annet Among, Richard Todwong, Haruna Kasolo, Arinaitwe Rwakajara, Maj. (Rtd) Awich Pollar, Abby Walusimbi, Mohammed Bagonza, Henry Wabyona, Dr. Hilary Musoke, and Michael Nuwagaba, among others