Kampala, Uganda – In a surprise political twist, celebrated Ugandan singer Stecia Mayanja has been unveiled as the new president of the National Peasants Party (NPP) as the little-known political formation resurfaces with bold ambitions to contest in the 2026 general elections.
The announcement was made during a press event held in Nansana, Wakiso District, where the NPP officially unveiled its National Executive Committee, vowing to be the long-overdue political vehicle for Uganda’s most vulnerable – the peasants.
“We are the voice of the common person. We will speak for the ones in the villages, markets, gardens, and ghettos,” said Stecia Mayanja, moments after being declared party president.
Clad in traditional attire and backed by party founders, Mayanja promised to shake up Uganda’s political landscape, asserting that her rise from the entertainment stage to the political podium is symbolic of a broader movement demanding real change.
Best known for her emotional ballads and commanding stage presence, Stecia Mayanja is no stranger to public life. Yet her transition into high-level political leadership has raised both eyebrows and expectations.
NPP founders say her mass appeal, grassroots connection, and fearless voice made her the ideal candidate to rally Uganda’s poor and disenfranchised.
“This is not just a figurehead appointment,” noted one party official. “Stecia understands the struggles of ordinary people. That’s what our party stands for.”
Founded in 2004 by Hajj Elias Wamala Miyagi and a group of rural development activists, the NPP has spent most of its existence in political dormancy until now.
Revived and rebranded, the party says it’s ready to field candidates at every level from village councils to the presidency in a bold move to directly challenge the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and President Yoweri Museveni’s nearly 40-year grip on power.
“For decades, peasants have been used and dumped by political elites. That ends now,” declared the party’s Secretary-General.
NPP says it will begin mobilizing in districts like Luweero, Kiboga, Kamuli, and Rukungiri areas it claims have been historically sidelined despite bearing the brunt of poverty.
Political watchers view Stecia Mayanja’s appointment as both symbolic and strategic, a move designed to capture youth, women, and cultural identity in a political season that is increasingly media-driven.
“It’s unconventional, yes. But it may tap into a growing population disillusioned with mainstream politics.”
While it remains to be seen whether NPP can convert its fiery rhetoric into actual electoral power, the reawakening of this party signals yet another fracture in Uganda’s opposition landscape, where new entrants are testing the waters ahead of the 2026 polls.
Also read: NUP Graduates New Leaders in Kamwokya Ahead of 2026 Polls
