Today, I saw a map on social media and I must admit, it disturbed me. Not because it was fake news (which is usually the case), but because it was true. Uncomfortably true.
It was a simple map, yellow as the morning sun, painted across the regions of Uganda with such confidence you’d think the map was sponsored by NRM itself. It was not. It was the official outcome of the July 16th, 2025 PWD Sub-County, Town, and Municipal Division elections. And friends, it was not a good day for the self-proclaimed “government-in-waiting.”
Let’s talk statistics, shall we?
- Out of 146 positions, NRM took home 123.
- NUP yes, the so-called future managed a grand total of 11.
- “Others” limped in with 12.
That’s not a political race. That’s a political wipeout.
But of course, if you stayed in Kampala, you’d never know this. In the city, truth has to fight for air time against hashtags and morning talk shows. You see, in Kampala, everyone has free WiFi, three smartphones, two X accounts (formerly Twitter), and a ring light. Suddenly, everyone is a political analyst and “Museveni Must Go” becomes a national anthem in cafés from Wandegeya to Ntinda.
Meanwhile, in Kyenjojo, Kaabong, and Katakwi, real Ugandans the ones who don’t attend tweetups or wear “revolution” as fashion were lining up to vote. Not rant. Not livestream. Vote. For NRM.
Oh, the sweet irony. The same Ugandans the opposition says are “tired of the regime” quietly queued, not to protest, but to reaffirm their trust in the party that actually builds the roads they use, not just record potholes on TikTok.
The opposition, bless their megaphones, have mastered the art of noise without numbers, volume without vision, and protest without purpose. They tell us “NRM is finished,” “Museveni is unpopular,” and “the regime is crumbling.” Then NRM wins 84% of yesterday’s races.
Dear opposition, where were you on July 16th? Still editing your documentaries? Or perhaps you were composing a thread on how “votes don’t count” except, it seems, when you win them.
Let’s be honest. Social media is not a ballot box.
A trending hashtag is not a political strategy.
A microphone in Kampala is not a national movement.
The people have spoken not from Twitter Spaces, but from village squares, dusty polling stations, and remote trading centers. And they’ve said this: we don’t need drama we need service delivery.
NRM may not be perfect, but while others are performing politics, it is practicing it. It shows up. It organizes. It serves people. It wins. And no amount of shouting in Kamwokya studios or Kavule grounds will change that.
So yes, today I was disturbed. Disturbed at how far the illusion has gone. Disturbed that people mistake Kampala’s volume for Uganda’s voice. But also deeply reassured because Ugandans, it seems, are far more discerning than the noisemakers thought.
To the opposition: we hear you. Loud and clear.
To NRM: Uganda just told you they still trust you.
To the rest of us: May we never confuse decibels for decisions again.
