Presidential candidate David Mugabi has unveiled a bold and comprehensive plan ahead of the 2026 general elections, pledging to fight corruption, create jobs, and restore dignity in public service. The plan, branded as The New Broom Manifesto, is anchored in the SWEEP Agenda, a five-pillar program aimed at delivering service-driven leadership, wealth creation, quality social services, security, and agricultural transformation.
Speaking to an enthusiastic crowd in Jinja, the Mayuge-born teacher and Busitema University graduate described his campaign symbol — the broom — as “a weapon against decay and a tool for rebuilding.” He added, “We have had enough of promises that vanish like morning dew. This time, we sweep out the rot and sweep in service for the people.”
At the heart of the SWEEP Agenda is Service-Driven Leadership, which will tackle corruption head-on. Mugabi promised, “Your taxes will build roads, schools, and hospitals — not luxury cars for leaders.” His anti-graft plan includes mandatory public asset declarations, lifetime bans for corrupt officials, seizure of stolen assets, and publication of all government contracts online.
Under a proposed “Three Strikes Rule,” first-time offenders would repay stolen funds threefold, second-time offenders would face 20 years in prison, and repeat offenders would permanently lose all assets. “We will end the ‘eating culture’ where leaders feast while the nation starves,” he said.
The second pillar, Wealth Creation for All, aims to end the “degree but no job” crisis by building factories in every region, granting tax holidays to Ugandan-owned businesses and offering free vocational training in skills such as welding, coding, and agricultural technology.
Mugabi’s “Operation Triple Yield” will bring irrigation to 20 drought-prone districts, establish 100 mobile processing plants by 2028, revive farmer cooperatives, and guarantee minimum prices for 12 staple crops. “Uganda must stop exporting raw wealth and start exporting finished products,” he stressed.
Under Education and Healthcare Access, Mugabi pledged to double teacher salaries, provide free rural housing for educators, and equip classrooms with laboratories and internet access.
He promised free primary healthcare, GPS-tracked medicine deliveries to hospitals, and the recruitment of 2,000 new doctors through merit-based exams. “No Ugandan will sell land to pay for medicine, and no child should learn under a leaking roof,” Mugabi declared.
The fourth pillar, Ending Insecurity and Injustice, will introduce community policing squads trained by reformed military veterans, monthly neighborhood safety meetings, and the installation of CCTV cameras in major cities. Drones will monitor crime hotspots, and courts will be mandated to conclude corruption cases within six months. “Justice will no longer depend on who you know — it will be your right as a citizen,” Mugabi said.
In Productive Farming and Infrastructure, Mugabi promised low-interest farm loans at 5% interest, construction of rural roads to connect farmers to markets, irrigation dams in dry zones, and strict price controls to stabilize crop earnings. “Farmers will no longer watch food rot in villages while cities go hungry,” he assured.
Beyond the SWEEP pillars, Mugabi outlined governance reforms that include reducing Parliament from 529 to 250 MPs, scrapping most “special advisor” positions, allocating 35% of the national budget directly to districts, and introducing public scorecards for ministers. He also vowed to digitize all land titles, set up a 24-hour land court hotline, and create special tribunals to resolve land disputes within 90 days.
Mugabi praised President Yoweri Museveni for stabilizing Uganda after past turmoil but argued that his nearly four decades in power have allowed corruption to flourish. “President Museveni deserves credit for ending the chaos of the past, but the system he built now stifles progress,” he said. “2026 demands fresh energy — AI-era governance, not 1980s playbooks.”
His implementation timeline begins with the arrest of the 10 most corrupt officials within 100 days, freezing dubious overseas accounts, and launching 12 emergency irrigation schemes. By the end of his first year, he plans to have eight new factories operational, teacher salary increment in place, and 50,000 small business loans issued.
By year four, Mugabi projects that 80% of Uganda’s exports will be value-added products, all government offices will use locally made supplies, and cooperatives will employ over one million Ugandans.
Calling his campaign “a people’s revolution,” Mugabi urged citizens to join the Broom Brigade to monitor public projects, report corruption via the 0800-SWEEP hotline, and participate in community-based Twezimbe Groups to ensure local development. “This isn’t just my manifesto — it’s our battle plan,” he said. “On election day, vote for the broom, vote for David Mugabi, and vote for an Uganda that works for us.”
Mugabi, who currently serves as the General Secretary of the Busoga Kingdom Youth Council (BKYC)—an umbrella body for youths in the Busoga Kingdom— expressed his opposition to Uganda’s multiparty political system, which he claims is funded by the sitting government.
“There is no way you can remove a dictator when you are the leader of the opposition or president of a political party. If you choose not to form a political party, it automatically shows the government is dictatorial—and that gives you the chance to remove a dictator. But here in Uganda, you find the opposition is being funded by the government. What is that?” he argued.
Mugabi insists he is not sponsored by anyone to contest against President Museveni. He is rallying what he calls “oppressed and hopeless” Ugandans to back his “Broom Plan” to clean up the Pearl of Africa.
When asked why he has not joined existing opposition candidates, Mugabi was blunt: “Uganda now needs a clean man without any dark record, and that is me. I ask all opposition candidates to come behind me and transform Uganda.”
Now a former classroom teacher at Kamuli Central College in Kamuli Municipality, Mugabi may appear financially modest, but he says he is ready for the race. He confirmed that he has secured the Shs20 million required for nomination at the Electoral Commission.
“Regarding the Shs20 million nomination requirement, I have secured the funds. However, as a candidate, I still need financial support to propel my campaign forward. Even candidates backed by established, well-funded political parties also seek additional support through fundraising. Your contribution, big or small, will be instrumental in helping me succeed,” he said.
As part of his campaign message, Mugabi urged law enforcement officers not to disrupt his activities but instead to listen to his “gospel of change” before dispersing any gatherings.
Mugabi has joined the ranks of Maureen Faith Kyala Waluube and Nancy Kalembe—daughters of the soil who previously challenged the long-serving Museveni in the 2016 and 2021 elections, respectively. In 2016, Kyala secured just 42,812 votes nationwide, while Kalembe managed only 38,772 votes in 2021. The pressing question now is: will Busoga turn against Mugabi, one of their own?
