The President of the Common Man’s Party (CMP) Mubarak Munyagwa, has officially picked presidential nomination forms ahead of Uganda’s 2026 general election.
Shortly after collecting the forms, Munyagwa unveiled his campaign vision, promising bold policy changes if elected.
“The first thing I would do is withdraw Uganda from the East African Community,” he said,
According to Mubarak the regional bloc has not delivered tangible benefits to ordinary Ugandans.
“Our focus must be on policies that directly improve the lives of our citizens.”he said.
On healthcare, Munyagwa pledged to introduce a mandatory national health insurance scheme where every Ugandan would contribute Shs20,000 annually in exchange for free medical services.
“Health is a right, not a privilege. This scheme will ensure that no Ugandan is left behind because of their inability to pay for healthcare.”he emphasized.
Munyagwa, who quit the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) in June 2024 citing “poor management” under the current leadership, also ruled out joining the National Unity Platform (NUP), which he described as “poorly managed” and dominated by its leadership’s personal interests.
“I have spent years in opposition parties that promised change but delivered little. Ugandans deserve leadership that works for the people, not personal interests.” he stressed.
Munyagwa Mubarak Sserunga served as Chairperson of the committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) as well as Member of Parliament representing Kawempe South.
Munyagwa is largely known for his comical character in activism that dates to as far as 2011 during the ‘Walk to Work’ protests against spiralling food and fuel prices in the country. He was among the politicians who were hauled up and jailed for allegedly holding unlawful protests and destabilising peace of Ugandans.
At the time of the protests, Munyagwa had just joined elective politics as the Mayor of Kawempe division.
And after serving the five years as mayor, Munyagwa was elected to parliament. He says it was the long-expected victory for someone who has longed to witness change of guard in Uganda’s political arena.
“I wanted to be part of the change movement,” says Munyagwa.
In 2001, he enrolled at Makerere University for a Bachelor of Science degree but couldn’t do much for lack of tuition. He switched the programme to an online study arrangement. He returned to Makerere enrolling for a degree in commerce but still dropped out in third year due to financial constraints.