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KIKUUBE - As the exercise for the update and registration of NRM members closed on Sunday, March 17, 2024, Kikuube district Buhaguzi East County Member of Parliament Aseera Stephen Itaza called for the extension of the exercise.

Speaking to journalists after updating his NRM membership in the Yellow book at Kikooboza Primary School in Buhimba sub-county on Sunday, Aseera said the five days that were given for the exercise were not enough to register all members given the fact that NRM is a mass party.

He added that the timing was bad since this is a planting season and many people are farmers. According to him, the NRM central executive committee must add at least four days to ensure that all members are registered.

The legislator warned all the NRM registrars who have been entrusted to update the members against being influenced by bad politics to stop members from registering in the yellow book saying the act will bring confusion in party elections.

The NRM registrar for Kikoboza village Mary Tusiime told Vision Group that the turnout was still low saying since they started by midday on Sunday, she had only registered 60 new members. She also asked for more time to be able to register all members.

Peaceful exercise

While addressing the media shortly after updating his party credentials at Teacam village, Nwoya district, NRM secretary general Richard Todwong revealed that the update exercise has been peaceful adding that although there have been some issues that are being solved by the secretariat.

Todwong noted that there have been some issues in Apaa, Tororo, Mityana, and Rubanda districts but the party secretariat is handling the issues.

“For the sake of Mityana, we have received information that there has been tension between leaders who seem to be having political intentions for the next general election.
We have been able to handle and manage the situation in Mityana and Rubanda,” Todowng said.

He said that based on the magnitude of the assignment that the party is handling of registering 72,000 villages, in five days, one would expect such glitches that come with such registration.

“We received a lot of complaints from people that there was not enough publicity but as a party, we said 'no'. This is the beginning. We have to close today and then when we retrieve these books, we shall take them to the zonal centres for digitalisation, and after that, we shall be able to update those that have not been in a position to register,” Todwong said.