Politics
Museveni Closes NRM National Delegates Conference, Calls for Unity and Integrity
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who is also the National Chairman of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), today officially closed the party’s National Delegates Conference at Kololo Independence Grounds with a strong message of unity, discipline, and integrity.
He urged leaders to reject corruption, warning that it divides the party and undermines its credibility.
“Reject the corruption that the young people are complaining about. Reject it. That is part of the resistance. This is a very good chance for Uganda, when you have such a powerful political organization, please don’t annoy them with wrong actions. Don’t annoy our members with injustice and corruption. When you do that, you divide us,” said the freshly endorsed NRM flagbearer for the 2026 general elections, as he thanked delegates for completing what he described as a “huge exercise” that began on May 6, 2025, with branch-level elections.
“I congratulate all of you on the huge exercise we have just gone through. It started with the elections of the branches. I myself went to Rwakitura and was part of our village meeting. In those meetings, we found that we had more than 20 million members of our party, and 18.5 million among them were voters. So, this is a big resource which you should not play around with,” H.E. Museveni said.
The President reminded party leaders that such a massive support base must be respected and safeguarded through honest and just leadership. He cautioned that corruption, favoritism, and injustice alienate members, breed disunity, and erode public confidence.
“Those who make mistakes, who do things carelessly, are really interfering with the work. These 20 million members of the NRM want justice, fairness, and the truth. They don’t want lies, they don’t want favoritism, they don’t want corruption,” President Museveni warned.
He emphasized that corruption allegations must be handled transparently and investigated thoroughly, cautioning against prejudgment.
“Somebody is accused of corruption—you don’t condemn them until the facts come out. But all these cases will be investigated, and action will be taken,” President Museveni pledged, adding that the NRM’s credibility depends on its commitment to honesty, justice, and resistance against wrong practices.
“Nobody should pollute our NRM with bad behavior. The use of money and corruption must be condemned. In some cases, we may even take legal action,” he stressed.
Turning to the youth, President Museveni commended their spirit of resistance against wrongs within the party, encouraging them to embrace constructive activism.
“By resisting what you think is wrong, you are becoming true members of the National Resistance Movement. But the question is, how would you do it? You must do it in the right way,” he said.
The President drew lessons from history, recalling how his group warned the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) about its wrongs in the 1980s before eventually taking up arms.
“That’s why, when we started the war, nobody could blame us—we had warned them,” he recalled.
Museveni further reminded delegates that leadership in NRM also means vigilance against crime and injustice at community level. He accused some police officers of complacency and called on the party’s 2.4 million leaders to act as monitors.
“You, the leaders of the NRM, don’t allow the police to sit on crime. Something bad happens, and they do nothing. The thief is arrested and given police bond—say no, tell them to stop this,” H.E. Museveni commanded.
While stressing that the army should focus on national defence, he said crime must be handled by the police and communities.
“You are the ones nearest to monitor them,” he told party leaders.
On development, the President emphasized the difference between public infrastructure—such as roads, schools, and hospitals—and household wealth creation.
“You don’t sleep in the hospital or at school; you stay in your home. What is happening in your home? Please understand the importance of wealth. Every home must have some wealth,” he said.
Museveni highlighted the Parish Development Model (PDM) as a transformative program to channel resources directly to the grassroots. Each parish, he said, receives Shs 100 million annually, totaling Shs 500 million in five years, with repayments raising the amount to Shs 800 million.
He stressed that PDM and other programs were designed to ensure no Ugandan household remains in poverty.
On education, the President made one of his most significant declarations, vowing to abolish school fees in government schools during the next term.
“I want to totally abolish school fees in government schools. We must provide free education at the same time; we empower homesteads with PDM. After 10 years, if families can pay for private schools, the government can withdraw slowly. But now, this is crucial to stop children from dropping out,” he said.
He also underscored the importance of reliable drugs in hospitals, good feeder roads, and access to safe water, pledging at least two safe water sources per village through boreholes, piped water, or protected wells.
“Where this is done, you find little opposition. If you advocate for this, there will be no opposition—people will be happy with you,” President Museveni told leaders.
New CEC Members and League Leaders Elected
NRM Secretary General Rt. Hon. Richard Todwong presented the final list of the new Central Executive Committee (CEC) members and the leadership of the party’s special leagues.
- Second National Vice Chairperson (Female): Rt. Hon. Anita Among (11,680 votes, 92%) defeated Hon. Rebecca Kadaga (902 votes, 7.2%).
- Vice Chairperson, Northern Region: Obua Dennis Hamson (3,591 votes, 67.4%) beat Sam Engola (1,078 votes) and Daniel Fred Kidega (658 votes).
- Vice Chairperson, Karamoja Region: Loki John Baptist (3,694 votes, 81.1%) won against Aachila John Roberts Rex (496 votes), Johnson Ngorok (133 votes), and Lokii Peter Abrahams (232 votes).
- Vice Chairperson, Central (Buganda) Region: Hon. Kyeyune Haruna Kasolo (4,194 votes, 50.3%) beat Kalisa Kalangwa Moses (3,981 votes, 47.7%).
- Vice Chairperson, Kampala Region: Salim Saad Uhuru (2,411 votes, 63.2%) defeated Katongole Singh (1,375 votes) and Bukenya Collins Andrew (29 votes).
- Vice Chairperson, Eastern Region: Calvin David Echodu (5,211 votes, 99.5%) beat Mariam Naigaga (253 votes).
- Vice Chairperson, Western Region: Asiimwe Jonard (4,044 votes, 58.9%) defeated Hon. Chris Baryomunsi (2,303 votes). Other candidates trailed far behind.
NRM Special League leaders confirmed:
- Historical League: Col. (Rtd) Tom Butiime
- Workers League: Arinaitwe Rwakajara
- PWDs League: Mwanje Shafik
- Elders League: Businge Penina Kabingani
- Veterans League: Lt. (Rtd) Mushabe Moses
- Women’s League: Adrine Kobusinge
Congratulating the winners, President Museveni called for unity.
“I congratulate the Vice Chairpersons who have been elected. Those who are not happy, we shall investigate those who played some games and find out,” he remarked.
Delegations from South Sudan, Rwanda, Kenya, Burundi, the Sahrawi Republic, and South Africa attended the conference, paying tribute to President Museveni’s leadership and reaffirming solidarity with NRM.
Kenya’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary General Hon. Hassan Omar delivered greetings from President William Ruto.
“On behalf of His Excellency, Dr. William Ruto, I congratulate you on your election as Chairman of the NRM and your nomination as the party’s presidential candidate in the 2026 elections,” he said.
Speaking for Rwanda’s RPF, Amb. Wellars Gasamagera described NRM and RPF as “brothers and sisters in struggle.”
“The bond between the RPF and the NRM is not merely political; it is historical and ideological. It has been forged in the fires of resistance against oppression and rooted in our shared vision for dignity, sovereignty, and emancipation of our peoples,” he said.
South Africa’s ANC Deputy Secretary General, Nomvula Mokonyane, reaffirmed her party’s solidarity with NRM.
“Today, we celebrate the achievements of the NRM in consolidating your independence, your stability, as well as development in Uganda. We equally reaffirm that the ANC stands shoulder to shoulder with you in advancing the broader struggle for Africa,” she said.
Other delegations from the SPLM of South Sudan, Burundi’s CNDD-FDD, and the Sahrawi Republic also hailed NRM’s historical role and continued leadership in Pan-Africanism.
