President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has proposed the enactment of a new law that would allow voters to recall non-performing leaders from office before the end of their elected terms, arguing that such a provision would strengthen accountability and service delivery.
Museveni, who is also the National Resistance Movement (NRM) presidential flagbearer for the 2026 general elections, made the proposal while addressing a campaign rally in Mpigi District, where he was accompanied by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni.
“Now I have a suggestion. There is what we call the ‘right to recall,’ where you recall an elected leader before the end of their term in office. If a leader fails to deliver results, we recall him or her,” Museveni said. “We can enact it into the Constitution because this provision existed during the time of the National Resistance Council.”
The President said the proposal was informed by complaints of absenteeism and poor performance by some opposition politicians holding leadership positions in the district. He argued that once elected, some leaders abandon their constituents and fail to account for their mandate.
Museveni noted that similar proposals had been raised during the Constituent Assembly debates but were never adopted into law, despite being intended to address the challenge of leaders who fail to perform after elections.
“The NRM government gave you powers to fight for yourselves, but you don’t use them,” he told the crowd. “You elect LCIs, LCIIIs, LCVs and Members of Parliament, but when they assume office, they forget about you.”
He, however, emphasized that even in the absence of a formal recall law, citizens already have mechanisms to challenge non-performing leaders by reporting them through existing legal and administrative channels.
“You report them and see what I will do to them,” Museveni said, warning leaders against neglecting their responsibilities. He added that he would hold a separate meeting with the youth in the area to further discuss issues of leadership accountability.
The President also blamed voters for electing what he described as “ideologically disoriented” opposition politicians, arguing that such leaders often lack the capacity or commitment to deliver services to the electorate.
Museveni’s proposal is likely to reignite debate on constitutional reforms and political accountability as the country heads toward the 2026 general elections.
