Allan Ssempala Kigozi Snr: Protest Vote is More Than A ballot Paper

As Ugandans, we stand at a critical juncture in our nation’s history. The “𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐕𝐨𝐭𝐞” championed by our party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), is more than a ballot; it is a powerful act of defiance against decades of electoral fraud, corruption, and dictatorship under President Yoweri Museveni’s regime.

For too long, elections in Uganda have been marred by rigging and intimidation. The 2021 general election, declared “fundamentally flawed” by the U.S. State Department, saw Museveni claim 58.6% of the vote amidst credible reports of ballot stuffing, voter intimidation, and an internet blackout. Yet, only 57% of registered voters turned out, with 409 polling stations suspiciously reporting 100% turnout.

Low voter turnout has been a persistent challenge. In 2021, of the 18 million registered voters, only about 10.2 million cast their ballots. This gap hands manipulators the opportunity to exploit the process. If Ugandans register and vote in massive numbers, as NUP urges with the ProtestVote2026 campaign, we can overwhelm the machinery of electoral fraud.

A high turnout, ideally above 80%, would make it exponentially harder for vote riggers to falsify results without exposing their schemes. The Protest Vote is our collective roar against Museveni’s authoritarian grip, which has stifled Uganda since 1986. It is a rejection of the corruption that siphons an estimated $5.5 billion annually from our public coffers, as reported by the Inspectorate of Government in 2021.

It is a stand against the violent repression that claimed over 50 lives during the 2020 protests and continues to target NUP leaders and supporters. By voting en masse, we can uproot this dictatorship and demand accountability, transparency, and justice. I wholeheartedly support this call for a “𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐕𝐨𝐭𝐞” in 2026. Let us mobilise, register, and show up in unprecedented numbers. This is not just a vote, it is our weapon to dismantle oppression and reclaim our democracy