By Nathan Eyagu 

Serere District — The incumbent Member of Parliament for Serere County, Emmanuel Omoding, has officially launched his campaign for the 2026 general elections, setting the pace for an intensive grassroots mobilization across the constituency.

The campaign launch was held on Tuesday at Kamusala Primary School in Kamusala Parish, Kateta Sub-county, and attracted a large turnout of supporters drawn from various sub-counties across Serere District. The colourful event featured performances by traditional cultural troupes, popular Teso musicians, and other entertainers, alongside speeches from leaders within the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.

Addressing the gathering, William Agwaru, the NRM Vice Chairperson for Kateta Sub-county, said the overwhelming attendance was a clear indication of Omoding’s growing popularity and acceptance among the electorate.

He noted that the massive turnout was a sign of strong support and urged voters to return Omoding to Parliament on his own mandate so that he can effectively lobby for better services for Serere County. Agwaru also called on party members to rally behind NRM flag bearers, despite the presence of other contenders, to ensure a decisive victory for the party in the forthcoming elections.

Leaders from different NRM structures across the sub-counties echoed similar sentiments, publicly pledging their support for Omoding’s re-election bid.

In his keynote address, Hon. Emmanuel Omoding declared the official start of his campaign, vowing to traverse all parishes and villages to personally seek the mandate of the people.

He said the campaign launch marked the beginning of parish-to-parish and village-to-village consultations, expressing confidence that voters would entrust him with another term in Parliament in the 2026 elections with an even bigger margin.

Omoding reaffirmed his commitment to serving the people, stating that his manifesto is aligned with the NRM’s national development agenda, particularly the party’s theme of protecting development gains.

He highlighted key government programmes such as Emyooga and the Parish Development Model, among others, aimed at elevating Uganda to middle-income status, and urged residents to fully embrace them.

The legislator identified priority areas for the next term, including health services, clean water access, youth empowerment, fisheries, security, and rural development, pledging to lead with a servant-leadership approach.

Reflecting on his record in office, Omoding cited achievements in the education sector, where he lobbied for iron sheets that have helped roof several government schools, as well as the organization of health camps to provide medical services to the community. He also pointed to economic empowerment initiatives targeting youth and women groups.

Through personal initiatives, Omoding has supported the opening of community access roads, rehabilitation of water sources, and expanded livelihood opportunities. He revealed that more than 200 youths have benefited from skills training and job-creation initiatives, particularly through the Okabe Youth Centre, which he pledged to further expand.

Looking ahead, Omoding promised to scale up health interventions, including regular health camps, and to lobby for the elevation of Serere Health Centre IV to district hospital status.

He also committed to supporting SACCOs under the Okabe Foundation, empowering women and youth through projects such as poultry and fish farming, establishing a youth skills centre, and advocating for the extension of rural electrification to boost local businesses.