Munyagwa Revives Power 10 Vote Protection Campaign Ahead of 2026 Elections

The Common Man’s Party (CMP) has relaunched its Power 10 vote protection initiative as part of efforts to safeguard ballots and promote transparency ahead of the January 15, 2026 General Election.

CMP presidential candidate Mubarak Munyagwa announced the revival of the grassroots campaign on Monday while addressing journalists at the party headquarters in Mengo, Kampala. He said the initiative is intended to ensure that votes cast by Ugandans are protected at polling stations, regardless of the party’s eventual ranking.

“At whatever position we are ranked, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that we know the performance of all candidates across the country and that the vote is protected,” Munyagwa said.

Power 10, first introduced by veteran opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye during the 2016 elections, involves deploying 10 trained volunteers at each polling station. Their role is to observe the voting and counting processes and to secure declaration forms as a safeguard against electoral malpractice.

Munyagwa said CMP had reviewed shortcomings experienced in previous elections and reactivated its structures to make the initiative more effective this time round.

“To become law-abiding citizens, we have trained our coordinators and agents to remain peaceful,” he said, adding that the party will distribute branded caps to Power 10 teams to enhance visibility and coordination at polling stations.

CMP national coordinator Habib Ssemakula said the visible presence of Power 10 volunteers would deter electoral irregularities and boost voter confidence.

“Our focus is protecting the paper trail by securing declaration forms at polling stations, which is critical for accountability,” Ssemakula said. He added that the party’s coordinators have mobilised down to the village level to screen and register agents across the country.

Munyagwa stressed that CMP does not intend to announce election results independently but wants to maintain verified records from polling stations.

“We don’t intend to declare results, but we must have the results,” he said, noting that the party expects to compile nationwide polling station results by the time the Electoral Commission releases official outcomes.

He also called on candidates and political groups without sufficient vote-protection capacity to collaborate with CMP, revealing that registration of Power 10 agents is ongoing nationwide.

“We want our record straight when it comes to the results of January 15, 2026,” Munyagwa said.

The Power 10 campaign forms part of CMP’s broader push for peaceful, credible and accountable elections. Party leaders said they are engaging various stakeholders, including security agencies, to help ensure a smooth and orderly electoral process.