A NUP supporter checks out Kyagulanyi’s t-shirtAs the 2026 General Elections draw closer, the atmosphere in Kampala’s Central Business District (CBD) has visibly changed.Once bustling with street vendors and roadside traders, the city’s busiest streets have now been transformed into vibrant political arenas, filled with campaign posters, party tents, and merchandise that have replaced the usual commercial activity.This transformation is particularly evident along the Namirembe Road non-motorised corridor, near the junction with Ben Kiwanuka Street and Luwumu Street, an area popularly known as Mini Price. Posters of candidates at all levels now dominate the space. The National Resistance Movement (NRM) has set up a large tent above Ben Kiwanuka Street where Luwumu Street begins.Vendors operating in the area say the trend is not new, it first emerged during the 2021 election season, inspired by the People Power movement at the time. This year, the NRM initially dominated the area, but after presidential nominations, other political parties, especially the National Unity Platform (NUP), joined in, creating a mix of party colours, sounds, and slogans.Beyond the posters, these street stations feature loudspeakers blaring campaign songs and party merchandise such as T-shirts, caps, and even Uganda flags. Most of this trading happens at NUP stations, which attract both supporters and curious buyers. Joram Bavuga, a vendor who turned his stall into a campaign station, said he normally sells water bottles and small utilities but decided to display a NUP presidential candidate’s poster as an expression of support.“The poster which the policeman destroyed with a gun butt, as you saw on social media, was mine,” Bavuga said. “But I’m not ready to give up my support because I’m not breaking the law. It’s not the police to tell me what to do and what not to do.” At the NUP stalls, passersby often drop small cash contributions without saying a word. Bavuga said the money helps sustain their street operations.“People can give up to 80,000 shillings a day,” he revealed. “We use it to buy batteries for loudspeakers and other necessities.”Directly opposite the NUP station stands the NRM tent, which can accommodate about 25 people. Unlike the open NUP setups, the ruling party’s tent is organised like a mini office, with chairs, tables, and electricity to light it at night.A man cleans candidate Yoweri Museveni’s posters on one of the city streetsAndrew Muwanguzi, a youth mobilizer found pasting posters in the NRM tent, said the structure was set up to mobilise support for the party’s presidential candidate among vendors and urban youths. “We couldn’t afford to leave out such a key population without our message,” Muwanguzi said. “This tent helps us engage directly with them.”He added that the tent also serves as a coordination point for mobilising support for other NRM candidates contesting positions within the city. “We gather people here and preach the NRM ideology,” he explained. As campaigns intensify, Kampala’s commercial heart has become a live reflection of the country’s growing political contest, where trade, livelihood, and politics now converge on the streets of the capital.-URNThe post Kampala’s City Centre Takes On A Political Look As 2026 Campaigns Gain Momentum appeared first on Business Focus.