Mubarak Munyagwa, presidential candidate for the Common Man's Party, has outlined key priorities for his 2026 campaign following his nomination by the Electoral Commission.
Speaking to the media, Munyagwa introduced elements of the party's "Common Man's Manifesto," promising to champion equity, justice, and economic empowerment for ordinary Ugandans.
While he did not fully release the manifesto, he said the party would formally submit it to authorities for public presentation.
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Central to Munyagwa's platform is the release of political prisoners, including Dr. Kizza Besigye.
"One of my agendas in the first 100 days is to release Dr. Kizza Besigye and all other political prisoners," he said.
Munyagwa also outlined economic reforms aimed at boosting local business and regulating foreign investment.
He criticized the dominance of foreign actors in Uganda's markets and pledged to prioritize Ugandan investors.
He said his government would revisit the East African Cooperation Protocol to address what he described as unfair trade restrictions from neighboring countries, particularly Kenya and Tanzania.
On governance and anti-corruption, Munyagwa emphasized transparency and accountability.
"Our symbol represents equity, equality, and the fight against greed and corruption," he said.
The candidate also proposed nationalizing critical services, including healthcare and education, to make them universally accessible.
"We must provide healthcare to those without wealth and take over the entire education sector to limit private dominance," Munyagwa said.
Munyagwa further suggested enhancing Uganda's regional and international engagement by prioritizing English and French-speaking markets over Swahili-dominated ones, citing opportunities in Central Africa.
The Common Man's Party, which Munyagwa leads, is positioning itself as an alternative to both the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and established opposition parties, focusing on ordinary citizens' interests in governance, justice, and economic policy.
