President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has once again called on Uganda’s political leaders to embrace peaceful dialogue and reject violence as the nation prepares for the 2026 general elections.
Speaking at the Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) Summit held on September 18, 2025, at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, President Museveni stressed that Uganda’s progress depends on leaders diagnosing societal challenges correctly and applying peaceful solutions rather than resorting to divisive politics.
The summit, convened under the theme “Together for a Peaceful and Sustainable Uganda,” brought together leaders of six political parties: the NRM, DP, UPC, FDC, JEEMA, and PPP.
In his keynote address, delivered as both NRM Chairman and IPOD Summit Chair, President Museveni urged opposition leaders to adopt peaceful engagement, arguing that stability allows for correction of mistakes over time.
“As we have seen in the last 40 years, the NRM has revived Uganda’s economy. Although we still face challenges, we are much stronger than ever before. Even if one has a wrong understanding, as long as they are not violent, the country will remain stable, and in the future, mistakes can be corrected,” he said.
The President emphasized that Africa’s biggest tragedy stems from poor diagnoses of societal problems combined with violent responses.
“Even when you make mistakes, if there is peace, there is room for correction. But when you combine wrong ideas with violence, you get a total breakdown,” he added.
Reflecting on his 65-year political career, Museveni likened politics to medicine, warning that leaders who misdiagnose their societies risk collapse. He also reiterated the NRM’s four guiding principles: patriotism, Pan-Africanism, socio-economic transformation, and democracy.
The President further weighed in on the recent teachers’ strike, stressing the need to prioritize limited national resources. Citing Soroti Flying School, he explained how prioritizing pilots and engineers over equal pay for all staff saved the institution from collapse.
At the same event, Museveni officially handed over the IPOD chairmanship to Democratic Party President General, Hon. Norbert Mao, after five years of NRM leadership.
“Thank you for having trusted us, NRM, for the last five years with the leadership. I now peacefully hand over,” Museveni remarked.
NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong, Chair of the IPOD Council of Secretaries General, commended Museveni for sustaining IPOD after international donors withdrew support.
“We were orphaned as IPOD when donors left, but as a father, you picked us up and nurtured us. You have shown that homegrown solutions can address African challenges,” Todwong said.
In his acceptance speech, DP’s Norbert Mao pledged to steer IPOD towards consensus and inclusivity, committing to a peaceful 2026 election.
“Our agenda will be to ensure that we have a peaceful election, a free and fair process, and that we shall continue to talk honestly about the problems we face, rather than attacking each other. IPOD is about finding common ground because the unity of Uganda is paramount,” Mao said.
He praised Museveni for his gesture earlier this year of releasing nearly 70 political detainees following DP-NRM dialogue, describing it as “a small but significant step towards reconciliation.”
UPC President Jimmy Akena reaffirmed his party’s commitment to dialogue, while FDC’s Patrick Oboi Amuriat urged that IPOD must yield tangible results and called for clemency for political prisoners. JEEMA’s Asuman Basalirwa and PPP’s Saddam Gayira echoed calls for peaceful, respectful engagement among parties.
IPOD Executive Director, Dr. Lawrence Sserwambala, reminded leaders that Uganda’s youthful population remains vulnerable to manipulation into violence and urged the platform to nurture them as “champions of peace.”
“Uganda is watching us. History will judge us by the choices we make. Let us choose peace, let us dialogue, let us put Uganda first,” Dr. Sserwambala said.
The summit drew broad participation, including Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, Electoral Commission Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama, and delegations from all IPOD member parties, signaling wide support for dialogue as a cornerstone of Uganda’s democratic journey.
