The president of the Common Man’s Party, Mubaraka Munyagwa, has said he will withdraw Uganda from the East African Community (EAC) if elected president in 2026.
The former Kawempe South MP, made these remarks in an interview with Bbeg Media two weeks after launching his political party.
“I accuse the architects of the East African Community who placed Uganda in this regional grouping for not being visionary and calculative. This is because it does not make sense placing Kenya and Uganda. Nairobi benefits a lot from the union than the rest of the members,” Munyagwa stated. [WATCH VIDEO INTERVIEW]
Announcing his candidacy as the Common Man’s Party flagbearer for the 2026 Ugandan presidential elections, Munyagwa proposed forming a new regional grouping prioritizing the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Sudan, and Rwanda.
He argued that Uganda benefits more from these countries than from Kenya. Munyagwa criticized Kenya for previously blocking Ugandan goods, such as milk, fish, and maize, from entering its market, claiming it was unfair given the EAC’s principles.
He said there are discriminatory labour laws in Kenya and Tanzania, where Ugandan workers struggle to secure employment opportunities despite the “brotherly relations” among member states.
“Uganda needed to work more with Congo than Kenya and Tanzania,” he emphasized.
Outlining his agenda for the first 100 days as president, Munyagwa pledged to sign executive orders to increase Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) troop deployments in war-torn neighbouring countries like Somalia and to position Uganda as a non-NATO ally of the United States.
He stressed that while Uganda promotes regional peace, its business interests must remain central. As a retaliatory measure against Kenya’s alleged protectionist policies, he proposed levying taxes on Kenyan goods and services.
Munyagwa also expressed strong opposition to Uganda’s large cabinet and parliament, accusing ministers and legislators of wasting taxpayer money on unproductive discussions.
He advocated for electoral amendments to include cultural leaders in governance and proposed education reforms to drive job creation and talent development.
On opposition unity, Munyagwa underscored its importance but criticized past coalitions like the Inter-Party Cooperation (IPC) and The Democratic Alliance (TDA) for failing to deliver results due to indecisiveness.
“IPC and TDA coalitions never benefited the country’s opposition forces where they spent more time failing to make mature decisions,” he said. With the 2026 elections approaching, he urged individual political parties to compete independently to defeat what he called “President Museveni’s 40-year junta.”
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