FOCUS! NRM manifesto boss tips stakeholders as EC releases 2026 polls roadmap

Manifesto Implementation Unit (MIU) Director Willis Bashaasha has urged all political and technical leaders across the country tasked with implementing the NRM Manifesto 2021-26 to remain focused on this cause and not be swayed into early politicking.

Bashaasha issued the guidance in reaction to the issuance of the 2025/26 election roadmap by the Independent Electoral Commission last week.

According to Bashaasha, the manifesto was drafted with commitments which last the entire political term, which then calls for consistent and devoted focus to the implementation of all the commitments.
“All manifesto stakeholders should be reminded that service delivery is the bedrock of national development and therefore the country’s socioeconomic development agenda can only be achieved with absolute commitment to delivering services to the citizens,” Bashaasha revealed in a statement sent to this publication.

He thus guided that whereas it is the right for every Ugandan to exercise their right to participate in democratic elections, there is need for caution to avoid spending time in unnecessary politicking.

“The Electoral Commission released the electoral timeline and as you clearly see, active campaigns will commence towards the end of 2025. That means that until that time, each of us should stick to their beat in the service delivery structure because programmes must go on as they were planned, so as to achieve the much desired socioeconomic transformation for the wananchi,” Bashaasha said.

He added that by releasing the electoral timeline early enough, the EC are also fulfilling their role of entrenching democracy in the country, as per the pillars of manifesto implementation chain. Bashaasha noted that this should then serve as an example to other stakeholders and implementers to efficiently execute roles and commitments under their own dockets.

“Remember the manifesto is a social contract between government and the citizens, so those of us tasked with fulfilling this contract must do so faultlessly but this can only be achieved if we don’t divide our attention between playing our designated roles and indulging in activities that will impede our concentration and dedication to work,” he said.

The NRM manifesto 2021-26 is the social contract detailing government’s service delivery agenda to the citizens with a view of attaining socioeconomic transformation of every Ugandan. During this year’s Manifesto Week which was held at the office of the president conference hall in May, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja assured Ugandans that despite shocks like the covid-19 pandemic, the manifesto implementation progress is satisfactory, with 22% of commitments fulfilled by the mid-term while 77% are on course to be completed by the end of the political term.

Against this background, the Manifesto tracking agency boss appealed to all implementers at both the central and local governments to regularly update citizens on the progress of manifesto commitments so as to counter pessimists and detractors who may mislead the masses.

“Many times negative forces come up with lies showing that the government has done nothing. However, from experience we have learnt that such mudslinging stems from the inability of the implementers to communicate what has been done or accomplished. My clerical call therefore is to all implementers to cure these lies by giving coordinated, accurate and timely progress of government programmes to the citizens,” Bashaasha said.

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