Common Man’s Party (CMP) presidential candidate Munyagwa Mubarak Sserunga has intensified his campaign trail in western Uganda, rallying supporters across the Ankole sub-region with a bold promise to build a government that ensures “every Ugandan eats without segregation.”
As the race toward the January 15, 2026 general elections enters its fifth week, Munyagwa, popularly known as “Munyagwa wa Lusaniya,” spent Monday traversing Ibanda, Kamwenge, and Kitagwenda districts, where he drew large crowds of enthusiastic supporters eager to listen to his message of unity and reform.
At his rally in Kitagwenda, Munyagwa’s birthplace, residents thronged the town center waving the party’s symbol, the Lusaniya, a large silver plate that he says represents shared prosperity. The atmosphere was charged with song and dance as the CMP leader mounted the podium to address the crowd in Runyankore, his voice rising above the chants of “Tusaba Lusaniya!” (We want the plate).
“Vote for Munyagwa, a man who has hope and ambition to establish a government where everyone will eat without segregation,” he declared, to thunderous applause. “That is why our party symbol is a Lusaniya, a big round metallic plate, a container where everyone eats from. It is a symbol of equality, unity, and the true spirit of the common man.”
The former Kawempe South Member of Parliament and ex-chairperson of Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities, and State Enterprises (COSASE) said his campaign is rooted in giving voice to the ordinary Ugandan who has long been excluded from the nation’s wealth and opportunity.
He called on voters to end President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s four-decade rule, accusing the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) of neglecting rural communities. “You cannot continue to support the NRM with its bus symbol and remain walking in dust,” he told the crowd. “Wake up, residents of Kitagwenda, and vote for the change you desire to feel and see. I am ready to deliver that change.”
Munyagwa promised to prioritize infrastructure and social service delivery in regions long left behind. “Once you vote for me, I will ensure Kitagwenda gets tarmacked roads, improved health centers, reliable electricity, quality education, and vibrant markets,” he pledged. “Every Ugandan, regardless of tribe, religion, or political party, will have a share in the national cake.”
He also accused the current government of failing to deliver on its commitments to the people, claiming that his newly formed CMP, barely two months old, has already “neutralized the NRM’s coercive tactics” by inspiring hope among the grassroots. “The Common Man’s Party is not just a party; it’s a movement of ordinary Ugandans reclaiming their dignity and future,” he said.
Unveiling his party’s vision and manifesto, Munyagwa promised far-reaching reforms aimed at reshaping Uganda’s governance and identity. He said his administration would replace Swahili with French as the national language, nationalize the health and education sectors, and revisit the East African Community Protocol to protect Uganda’s local industries and workers.
“The Lusaniya represents a shared plate, a fair share for every Ugandan,” he explained. “It symbolizes a rejection of greed, corruption, and segregation that have divided our people for too long. Under my leadership, every district will feel the government’s hand.”
Timothy Msobor Chemonges, Executive Director at Centre for Policy Analysis – CEPA and a political commentator says Munyagwa’s populist tone and symbolic messaging could resonate with low-income voters disillusioned by years of unmet promises. “His campaign, they note, mirrors his earlier reputation in Parliament as a fiery critic of corruption and a defender of ordinary citizens,” Chemonges said.
According to the Electoral Commission’s official campaign schedule, Munyagwa is expected to continue his western Uganda tour today in Kabale, Kisoro, Rukungiri, and Kanungu, before heading to Makindye Division in Kampala later in the week. He is also slated to campaign in the northern districts of Gulu, Kitgum, Pader, Agago, Lamwo, Nwoya, Lira City, and Apac in the coming days.
Munyagwa joins a crowded field of opposition challengers including Robert Kyagulanyi (NUP), Mugisha Muntu (ANT), Nathan Nandala Mafabi (FDC), Elton Joseph Mabirizi (CP), and Robert Kasibante (NPP) – all seeking to unseat President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986.
As the campaigns heat up, Munyagwa’s message of shared prosperity and “a Lusaniya for all” continues to echo across the countryside, a promise that, if fulfilled, could redefine the meaning of governance for Uganda’s common man.
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