Common Man’s Party (CMP) presidential candidate Mubarak Munyagwa has vowed to deport all foreign investors engaged in petty businesses if elected in the 2026 general elections.
Speaking at his campaign rally in Hoima city on Monday, Munyagwa said that many foreigners enjoy a favourable business environment under the current regime, but operate in sectors that Ugandans could easily manage. He argued that this creates unfair competition for local entrepreneurs.
“The presence of foreign investors in petty businesses discourages local investors from developing their own products and industries, as they struggle to compete,” Munyagwa said.
He cited examples of foreigners hawking items such as phones, soap, shoes, and radios, which he says undermine Ugandan traders. Munyagwa stressed that foreign investors should collaborate with local businesses through partnerships, rather than directly participating in small-scale trade.
“Immediately after assuming office, if elected, I will ensure that all foreign investors involved in petty businesses are deported to create a conducive working environment for local investors,” he added.
Munyagwa also pledged to review Uganda’s immigration policies to regulate the entry of foreigners and prevent unnecessary competition with Ugandan businesses. In addition to economic reforms, he promised equitable distribution of government resources across all regions to improve service delivery.
He highlighted sectors such as health, education, road infrastructure, electricity connectivity, and agriculture as priorities under his administration.
The CMP candidate also pledged to give Bunyoro a larger share of oil and gas revenues and to create more job opportunities for youth in the region.
Residents, including Joan Ahebwa and Charles Kyomukama from Masindi town, expressed support for Munyagwa’s stance, saying their businesses face unfair competition because foreign traders often sell merchandise at lower prices.
Good that this common man’s charter is being brought back to the citizens of Bunyoro. These are the Banyoro tribes people back in the history of this Republican African country, who loved the common man’s charter principles of the late Dr Milton Obote. However after 60 years now, the rate of unemployment and poverty persist despite some economic growth. Public services of health, education, infrastructure, and water supply badly need government attention after 40 years of a sitting common man’s Uganda central government. The high cost of living and food shortages continue to hurt the common man. Corruption certainly in this modern African Republic has refused to go away. Government trampling on the rights of fellow African human beings is the order of the day as this government continues to pursue Authoritarianism at any cost. This long serving African Republican government of Uganda continues to clamp down on freedom of expression, media freedom, and peaceful assembly, leading to arbitrary arrests and harassment of activists and journalists. Credible reports of human rights abuses, including unlawful killings, torture, and arbitrary detention, continue to be a concern.
In this National Resistance Movement political ambition, there are concerns about political instability, particularly given the rising youth population and uncertainty surrounding political succession. One hopes that the people of Bunyoro are not going to continue to listen and believe African politicians who make it their lifetime job of telling lies to African peoples left right and center for many years and counting!