You must be impartial - Kabaka Mutebi slams Electoral Commission in Christmas message
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His Majesty the Kabaka of Buganda, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, has issued a scathing critique of the National Electoral Commission, demanding impartiality as Uganda enters a high-stakes election season.
The monarch, in his message for Christmas 2025 and the New Year 2026 which began with traditional gratitudes for the prayers and love of his subjects, quickly pivoted to a stern rebuke of the current political environment.
Addressing the violence that has already begun to mar the electoral process, the Kabaka expressed deep concern over the "beating" and "torture" of citizens.
The King singled out the Electoral Commission, urging the body to move beyond mere rhetoric.
He insisted that "colleagues on the national Electoral Commission" must do more than simply condemn illegal acts; they must actively intervene to ensure that all candidates, regardless of their political affiliation, can reach their voters without fear of state-led or partisan interference.
"We ask our colleagues... to assist every candidate, without bias, to deliver their message to the voters without being blocked or tortured in any way," the Kabaka stated. He further noted that the current trend of preventing candidates from reaching scheduled venues is a clear violation of both human rights and civilised progress.
The Kabaka also turned his attention to the "excessive spending" that has come to define Ugandan politics.
Questioning the mysterious origins of the vast sums of money flooding the campaigns, he warned that "monetised" elections lead to the rise of incompetent leaders.
He argued that candidates who spend fortunes to win often spend their time in office prioritising the repayment of those debts rather than serving the public, describing this cycle as the primary "source of corruption and the destruction of our country's development."
Beyond politics, the King touched upon the resurgence of violent crime, including the terrifying "machete-wielders" (ab'ebijambiya) and the disturbing reports of child abductions and ritualistic killings. He called upon security forces to heighten their vigilance during the festive season.
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Below is the Kabaka’s full message
Christmas and New Year 2026 Message from His Majesty the King
Greetings to you all.
We thank you for the prayers you offer for us and the love you show us daily. We also pray for you. We thank God who has enabled us to reach the Christmas of our Lord Jesus Christ in the year 2025.
Many of our people have been subjected to harm, including being beaten, preventing candidates from reaching scheduled venues to address voters, and other acts that break the law and violate human rights.
We ask our colleagues on the national Electoral Commission not only to condemn these matters but also to assist every candidate, without bias, to deliver their message to the voters without being blocked or tortured in any way. We condemn these acts because they do not reflect civility or the progress of the country.
The politics and the selection of leaders we see now are filled with excessive spending, and we wonder: where does such a large amount of money come from? Elections conducted in this manner bring into leadership positions people without the capability, who first prioritize repaying the money they spent to be elected. This is the source of corruption and the destruction of our country's development. Therefore, we urge you to vote with great care.
Rain is still scarce in most parts of the country, yet in the months of November (Museenene) and December (Ntenvu), we would have expected plenty of rain everywhere. This means that food crops, especially maize and beans, have been greatly affected by the dry spell.
We urge you to once again prioritize the storage of food—especially dry foodstuffs—as a vital matter for our livelihoods. We also ask the government to increase efforts in providing our people, particularly those living near water sources, with irrigation equipment. Reducing taxes on irrigation machinery is also necessary to enable the common person to purchase them and achieve better harvests.
Furthermore, we continue to hear reports of people whose children go missing and are never seen again. Later, we read in the newspapers that some children are killed with extreme cruelty, and their body parts are removed. We thought such acts had ended, but they have resurfaced. Added to this are the thugs known as "the machete-wielders" (ab'ebijambiya) who attack people at night.
We ask you to be vigilant and protect yourselves and our children, especially during this festive season. We also call upon the security forces to increase their efforts in protecting our people and their property.
We wish you a Merry Christmas full of joy and a New Year filled with peace and good health.
(Signed) Muwenda Mutebi II KABAKA
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