Christopher Kisekka: For months, presidential and parliamentary candidates combed the country for votes in a heated campaign period. The air was thick with chants, flags, and political fervour.
Massive rallies drew thousands, transforming dusty grounds into seas of yellow, red, and blue. Beneath the spectacle of speeches and slogans lay a quieter shift: economic opportunity for some people, including women.
Women make up more than 51 percent of Uganda’s population and dominate the informal sector. The campaign trail became a lifeline for many, boosting incomes and helping households cope with economic hardship. From vendors selling snacks to those dealing in party merchandise, women converted political energy into financial gains in a labour market where formal jobs remain scarce.
Uganda’s informal economy accounts for about half of GDP and employs up to 87 percent of non-agricultural workers. Women power much of this activity. During election seasons, the sector surges.
Campaigns create temporary booms. Foot traffic at rallies translates into sales, with traders reporting earnings two to three times higher than their usual daily amounts.
One example is Nalongo Annet Namuli, 45, a trader from Zirobwe in Luwero District. For weeks, she shadowed President Yoweri Museveni’s National Resistance Movement (NRM) campaign and turned rallies into her marketplace. Arriving early with her son, she set up a simple stall consisting of a table and a portable stove, selling fried chips, roasted chicken, sausages, and roasted plantains.
“I follow the President’s schedule closely,” she told The Other Voice at a Kawanda rally in Wakiso District. By 8:00 a.m., her spot opposite the main entrance buzzed with activity as buses unloaded supporters. Nalongo strategically avoided crowded interiors and positioned herself at exits to capture impulse buyers from the moving crowds.
“On a slow day, I make 200,000 Shillings. That is more than a week’s earnings back home,” she said.
The rapid turnover supported her family, paying for school fees and basic household needs. As the campaigns neared an end, she expressed concern. “Once rallies end, business slows. We depend on these crowds for survival.”
A second example is Aisha Nakiyimba, 38, from Kawempe in Kampala. She specializes in political party merchandise. She traveled to rallies of different candidates, including those from the NRM and the National Unity Platform (NUP), whenever crowds looked promising. Her stock included branded T-shirts, caps, flags, whistles, and badges.
“Election sales are sweet. It is once in five years, but it counts, and I could not sit back,” she said during a Robert Kyagulanyi rally in Busiro North. With supporters chanting for change, her stock moved fast as people bought items to show their allegiance.
Nakiyimba reported daily earnings of 300,000 to 500,000 Shillings, far above her regular 100,000 Shillings. She attributed the surge in sales to the mood of the crowds and strong attendance. She said the profits from the campaigns provided a cushion. “This money helps me stock up for post-election slumps and educates my daughters.”
The third example is Harriet Akello, 42, from Nyendo in Masaka City. As a beverage vendor, she follows multi-party events, selling bottled water, sodas, and local brews at rallies of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), and National Unity Platform (NUP).
“Politics brings people together, and thirst,” she said with a laugh during a gathering in Arua. Akello positioned herself near entrances, where long waits and hot weather drove up demand. She earned about 100,000 Shillings daily during peak rallies.
“I had loans from our SACCO, and for some time I had been living in hiding, but the campaign sales helped me repay the outstanding loan and make a small saving,” she said. These women show how the 2026 campaign season extended beyond politics and created meaningful economic activity. Sustainability remains the key question. As rallies peaked, women vendors across Uganda reminded observers that in the marketplace of democracy, opportunity appears, but the challenge is to sustain it beyond the election day.
