Mubarak Munyagwa, President of the Common Man’s Party (CMP), has vowed to deport all foreigners residing in Uganda without legal documentation if he assumes power.
He made the declaration at the Electoral Commission (EC) headquarters in Lubowa, shortly after being officially nominated to contest in Uganda’s 2026 presidential elections.
“I will deport all foreigners who are here without legal documents. Immediately am voted in as the President of this country, their plane will at the airport ready to fly them out.”
Shifting to Uganda’s linguistic policies, Munyagwa pledged to ban the use of Swahili in the country’s education system and public institutions, claiming the language holds little value for Uganda’s strategic regional interests.
“I will ban Swahili in Uganda. Our children study it in school but it doesn’t help them and I will replace it with French because right now, the African countries that we deal in have French as their official language not Swahili. Right now we need Congo and Sudan more than we need Kenya,” he said.
He went further to explain that he will “review our national language policy and replace Swahili with French, which is widely known and used internationally.”
On the regional front, Munyagwa proposed a revision of the East African Corporation Protocol, voicing dissatisfaction with what he described as Uganda’s unequal treatment in trade.
“We open our markets to them, but they close theirs to us,” he argued, positioning himself as a champion for fair regional trade.
Munyagwa also laid out radical plans for transforming Uganda’s core social services.
He vowed to nationalize both the health and education sectors and eliminate private schools.
“We intend to nationalize the health sector, take over the education sector, and ban private education. Ugandans deserve leadership that works for the common man, not personal interests,” he said.
Central to his campaign is a promise to push for the immediate release of political prisoners, particularly longtime opposition figure Dr. Kizza Besigye.
“During my campaign, I will fight for the release of Dr. Kizza Besigye and all other political prisoners,” he affirmed.
Addressing economic woes, Munyagwa stressed his commitment to restoring Ugandan ownership over the economy.
“We need to bring the economy back into the hands of the common man. Our businesses are crying due to foreign involvement, who are loitering around illegally. This will be addressed immediately,” he declared.
Symbolism also played a prominent role in his address, with Munyagwa highlighting the CMP’s emblem—a silver plate known locally as a lusaniya.
“Our symbol, a silver plate, is a large serving dish that, in many Ugandan homes, gathers families and friends around a meal. This represents the unity and inclusiveness we want for our nation,” he explained.
In an emotional reflection, the former Kawempe South MP spoke of the difficult road leading to his nomination.
“Being here was not an easy journey. It was a journey full of hurdles. The process was stringent, but we managed through,” he said.
He thanked the Electoral Commission for maintaining professionalism despite challenges.
“We thank the Electoral Commission for executing professionalism. Some internal processes took longer than expected, and at one point, we thought we wouldn’t be nominated,” he added.
Munyagwa described his candidacy as a new beginning for Uganda’s neglected majority.
“This campaign is about the ordinary Ugandan. After years under both ruling and opposition parties that promised change but delivered little, it is time for leadership that truly serves the common man,” he stated.
“A long journey is commencing the journey to liberate the common man. I am a veteran in this struggle.”
The CMP, launched in July 2025, was born out of growing frustrations with the country’s opposition landscape.
Munyagwa’s candidacy now joins a crowded presidential race ahead of the 2026 elections, where he will challenge President Museveni, along with other contenders including NUP’s Bobi Wine, ANT’s Mugisha Muntu, FDC’s Nathan Nandala Mafabi, CP’s Elton John Mabirizi, NPP’s Robert Kasibante, and Frank Bulira Kabinga from the Revolutionary People’s Party.
