At the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni reaffirmed the indispensability of dialogue as the nation edges closer to the 2026 general elections. Addressing leaders of six political formations gathered under the Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD), the Head of State warned against the perils of divisive rhetoric and political violence, insisting that Uganda’s stability must be preserved through sober engagement and consensus-building.

In his keynote remarks, the President emphasized that genuine national progress hinges on leaders’ ability to properly interpret the root causes of societal challenges and to prescribe peaceful remedies. He cautioned that resorting to subversion or chaos undermines both democracy and development, urging political stakeholders to elevate dialogue above confrontation.

The summit, convened under the banner “Together for a Peaceful and Sustainable Uganda,” assembled party presidents and secretary generals from across the political spectrum, including the National Resistance Movement (NRM), Democratic Party (DP), Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Justice Forum (JEEMA), and the People’s Progressive Party (PPP).

The congregation of Uganda’s principal political actors at Kololo was widely viewed as a symbolic reaffirmation of the country’s democratic path. By foregrounding the values of tolerance and cooperation, the IPOD Summit sought to lay a foundation for an electoral process marked by mutual respect rather than antagonism.

In closing, President Museveni underscored that Uganda’s long-term peace and prosperity will be safeguarded not by confrontation but through deliberate and structured dialogue, which he framed as the true cornerstone of national unity ahead of the 2026 elections.