True to his promise, he traversed the country in a three-man presidential bid, putting up a spirited campaign to the end of the race in which he obtained at least 2.5 percent of the valid votes cast, and finishing behind the leading two candidates, Yoweri K. Museveni and Ssemwogerere Paul Kawanga. A director of Planning and development at Makerere University at the time, Mayanja returned to his University job, and laid new strategies for recruiting supporters to his newly found Party, Justice Forum, famously called JEEMA by most Ugandans. He bounced back in the presidential race in 2001, which attracted a double number of candidates than the earlier one of 1996.
He kept his word and campaigned across the country with a three-man team, putting up a strong fight until the end of the race where he secured at least 2.5 percent of the valid votes cast, finishing behind the leading two candidates, Yoweri K. Museveni and Ssemwogerere Paul Kawanga. A planner and developer at Makerere University at the time, Mayanja returned to his university job and developed new strategies for recruiting supporters to his newly formed Party, Justice Forum, which was known as JEEMA by most Ugandans. He ran again in 2001, attracting twice as many candidates compared to the previous election of 1996.