A Ugandan graduate who became a bodaboda rider due to unemployment has announced that he will challenge President Yoweri Museveni in the 2026 presidential election. Francis Mawejje says he is ready to liberate the country from the current woes it faces due to mismanagement by the Museveni regime of almost 40 years.
At 30, Mawejje was born when Museveni was already president, and is half a century younger than the country’s longest serving president in post-independence times.
After graduating from Cavendish University (where he studied International Relations and Diplomacy) and failing to get a job, Mawejje resorted to riding bodaboda to survive. Now, he feels he is ready to lead Uganda to the promised land.
Mawejje told reporters in the Ugandan capital Kampala on April 14 that Uganda survives under a “bodaboda economy” where people live hand-to-mouth and wake up to work for food for the following day.
He noted that he had seen people leave their homes early in the morning to hassle in the city not certain of if they will earn anything to feed them and their families.
Mawejje also added that he had seen about six people fail to raise money to pay rent for a shop they share for business, illustrating how the Ugandan economy was struggling.
He also touched on the plight of his fellow bodaboda riders who struggle to pay their hospital bills in case of accidents since they have no functional insurance cover.
Mawejje further complained about the failure by the Museveni government to provide services to citizens. He talked of sick hospitals with drug stockouts and low salaries for civil servants.
He says he will run on the promise of fulfilling a seven-point program which includes taking necessary steps to reduce unemployment, cutting unnecessary expenditure and making public schools and hospitals work for all Ugandans.
Mawejje also wants all bodaboda riders to have mandatory insurance policy. He also plans to ensure that there are adequate emergency services. Mawejje is also promising to increase salaries of health workers to help improve service delivery.
There are over 500,000 university graduates riding bodabodas in Uganda, as The Pearl Times has reported Here.
Regarding the presidential race, some Ugandans have been expressing interest in unseating Museveni next year. One of the presidential hopefuls has promised to pay LC chairpersons and VHTs salaries if elected president. (See Details Here).
Meanwhile, a recent poll indicated that Bobi Wine and Mugisha Muntu were ahead of Museveni in terms of popularity, going to the 2026 election. (See Details Here).
For comments on this report, story tips or sponsored content, send us a Whatsapp message on +256 705 690 819 or E-mail us on pearltimesug@gmail.com).
Please Follow our Whatsapp Channel for More Stories HERE
