Banyarwanda Endorse Museveni for President in the 2026 Election!

By our reporter

Kampala – President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has received a powerful endorsement from Uganda’s Banyarwanda community, who declared they will rally behind him in the 2026 general election in appreciation of his decision to end decades of statelessness through Executive Order No. 1 of 2025.

Speaking at a press conference held at Serena Hotel in Kampala on Wednesday, the Chairman of the Council for Abavandimwe, Frank Gashumba, flanked by Jackline Mbabazi (Vice Chairperson Western Region), Amb. Jumah Witonze (Uganda’s envoy to Bahrain), Mrs. Buchana, Bahati and other council leaders, delivered an emotional statement of gratitude to the President, describing him as a leader who “restored dignity where it had been lost.”

“For decades, Banyarwanda suffered in silence. Though born and raised in Uganda, we were denied national IDs and passports—not for wrongdoing, but for who we are. Lives were lost, dreams shattered. We were foreigners in our own land, victims of unpatriotic technocrats,” Gashumba told journalists.

Gashumba showing journalists the banner promoting Museveni candidature

He explained that despite years of petitions to institutions such as the Police, the Inspectorate of Government, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Uganda Human Rights Commission, the Equal Opportunities Commission, and even Parliament, no relief was offered until the matter reached the President.

“With the stroke of a pen, our long-denied rights were restored. Citizenship was reaffirmed, discrimination outlawed, and our people—who had been treated as strangers in their own country—were finally given back not just documents, but their dignity,” Gashumba said, visibly emotional.

The Council praised Museveni for turning Pan-Africanism into a living reality, citing Matthew 25:35-36 to compare his intervention to welcoming strangers and uplifting the rejected.

According to the council, the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has already begun issuing national IDs to indigenous Banyarwanda without discrimination. While challenges remain at the Department of Immigration concerning passports, Gashumba expressed confidence that these too will be resolved.

In a declaration that signals a strong political stand ahead of the 2026 polls, Gashumba and the Council for Abavandimwe pledged unwavering support to President Museveni:

“For this, we will vote for Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni—and we will rally every Munyarwanda to do the same.”

The endorsement is a major boost for Museveni’s reelection bid, as it comes from a community that has for years felt marginalized but now says it has been restored to full citizenship and national belonging.