The Council for Abavandimwe, representing the Banyarwanda community in Uganda, has endorsed President Muiseveni, the NRM chairman, as their candidate in the 2026 eleections.
Speaking a press conference in Kampala, the council chaired by Frank Gashumba, expressed its gratitude to Museveni for addressing their long-standing concerns regarding access to national identification documents, such as National IDs and passports.
“We have every reason to support President Museveni because he has recognized the Banyarwanda as Ugandans, something we have struggled for over years,” Gashumba said. “We are also happy that government agencies, like NIRA and the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Immigration Department, are now directed to implement the President’s executive order to ensure that all Banyarwanda have access to the documents they require.”
They said they will form grassroots campaign groups across the country to canvas votes for Museveni in the 2026 general elections.
The Abavandimwe, a term meaning “brethren” in Kinyarwanda, is a faction of Uganda’s Banyarwanda community that emerged in 2021 to advocate for equal treatment and recognition of their citizenship rights. The Banyarwanda, listed as the 24th indigenous tribe in the Constitution, have faced systemic challenges, including discrimination and bureaucratic hurdles, when attempting to obtain essential documents like National IDs and passports.
