In Kikuube, CP's Mabirizi promises to pay 60% of university students fees

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The Conservative Party (CP) presidential candidate, Joseph Mabirizi, has pledged to pay 60% of tuition for university students if he is elected Uganda's next president in 2026.

His argument for this campaign promise is that many parents are not able to support their children to attain university education.

Still in Bunyoro sub-region, the CP presidential frontrunner took his campaign to Kikuube district in Uganda's west on his second day on the campaign trail, addressing a rally in Buhima sub-county. He particularly rallied the youths to back him in his pursuit of the presidency.

"We are planning to support the students by paying 60% of the tuition because many of them are home because parents are not able to support them," he said.

Mabirizi also promised to support the farmers by providing them with machinery to earn from agriculture.

"We shall support our farmers by providing them with free farm inputs and machines so that they can add value to their produce and earn better money.

Mabirizi is running for president for a second time, having first contested in the 2016 race as an independent, in which he finished last in an eight-way contest.

Once again, he is vying for the top job — this time under a party — against seven other candidates in an all-male presidential race. They are;

▪️The incumbent, President Yoweri Museveni of the National Resistance Movement (NRM)

▪️Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (National Unity Platform - NUP) 

▪️ Nathan Nandala Mafabi (Forum for Democratic Change - FDC)

▪️ Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Gregory Mugisha Muntu (Alliance for National Transformation - ANT)

▪️ Mubarak Munyagwa (Common Man's Party (CMP)

▪️ Frank Bulira Kabinga (Revolutionary People’s Party - RPP)

▪️ Robert Kasibante (National Peasants Party - NPP)

Cabinet trimming and federalism

Although the presidential campaigns kicked off on Monday, Mabirizi began his on Wednesday in Bunyoro sub-region, starting in Hoima city.

He told residents there that, once in the top office, he will prioritise the fight against corruption and cut the costs of administration, adding that this will reduce the number of Members of Parliament and that of Cabinet ministers.

There are 32 Cabinet ministers and 50 state ministers in Uganda's Cabinet. Mabirizi wants to trim the Cabinet ministers to 17.

"When we come into power, we shall cut the size of Cabinet ministers and presidential advisors. We shall only need 17 ministers so that all that money can go back to the people and offer services," he said.

The two-time presidential candidate also said that in his first 100 days in power as president, all political prisoners will be set free. "All the NUP supporters and other supporters of political parties who are currently in prison will be released."

Accompanied by CP leader and former Rubaga South MP Ken Lukyamuzi and other members of his campaign team, Mabirizi rallied the people of Bunyoro to support the federal system of government, saying it will help to improve service delivery.

He argued that this system is fundamental in the equal sharing of the national cake.

In his planned change of system, Mabirizi explained that taxes collected will be kept in the regional treasury and allocated to different parts of the region.

He said federalism will enable regions like Bunyoro in improvement of service delivery because all the taxes collected will be used to offer services like construction of schools, health facilities and roads.

"The system will empower Bunyoro as a region to use the taxes collected to offer services to its people without relying on the central government."