NRM youth fight at party headquarters

By David Lumu

Drama has ensued at NRM Party headquarters at Kyadondo Road in Kampala when NRM youth fought over the commencement of the controversial youth delegate’s conference slated for Thursday.

The fist-fights happened shortly after Denis Namara, the chairperson of the NRM Youth League read a statement cancelling the so-called Namboole youth meeting that some youth had clandestinely summoned without knowledge of the party secretariat.

Led by Vincent Kaggwa a section of purported NRM youth under their umbrella organisation “NRM Poor Youth Forum” vehemently protested Namara’s move to call of the delegate’s conference. These NRM poor youth argued that Namara had no powers to cancel the meeting.

When Namara maintained his stand, the youth started shouting and a fist fight ensued among them and the guards, plus some other party youth followers who had gathered to listen to the final decision of the party youth secretariat about the thorny conference.

trueMinister without Portfolio in charge of Political Mobilization Richard Todwong after addressing a press conference to stop the planned NRM youth meeting 23/4/14.Photo by Wilfred Sanya 

Northern Uganda youth MP Evelyn Anite said that the NRM Poor Youth Forum group was uninvited “detractors” planted by opposition and Adam Buyizza Luzidana [NRM Vice chairperson Kampala central region] to cause chaos.  But some youth insisted that it was their right to hold the conference.

On April 16, government spokesperson and NRM deputy spokesperson Ofwono Opondo ssued a two paragraph statement calling off the so-called youth delegate’s conference. “NRM Secretariat wishes to clarify that it has not called a National Youth League conference at Namboole on 24/4/14. This is therefore to advise all NRM Youth leaders that no such meeting will take place and consequently they should not travel to Kampala for such a meeting,” Ofwono said.

Soon after the incident today, Ofwono Opondo responded on twitter, dismissing the group that stormed Kyadondo road.

"Only the NRM party chairman (Museveni) in consultation with Secretary General has the mandate to convene delegates' coneference," he said.

"NRM has no organ known as "NRM Poor Youth Forum" to call any meeting of the party anywhere.Dennis Namara heads the legitimate NRM national youth league hence has the powers to jalt any mischief.

"Any NRM so-called youth group purporting to call a delegates conference must be frauds and shouldnt be believed."