The National Resistance Movement (NRM) party has kick-started a massive registration exercise in Kampala, with party members queuing up in their yellow books to have their details captured.

The exercise, which began on Wednesday, March 13, is aimed at updating the party's membership register ahead of the 2026 general elections. 

NRM officials say the registration drive is meant to ensure that all party members are properly documented and able to participate in the party's primaries and other activities.

Minister for Kampala and the Metropolitan Affairs, Minsa Kabanda who turned up on Wednesday to launch massive registration this morning at Kakajjo I zone in Bukesa parish, urged all eligible residents to join the party and participate in the registration process.

A boda boda rider at Kyambogo University stage updating his particulars at K10 village, Kyambogo parish in Nakawa division.

Kabanda who addressed a congregation of NRM supporters after the registration exercise, revealed that the exercise is aimed at ensuring that all NRM supporters are registered to participate in the party’s primaries.

“With a very high turnout today, the exercise shall conclude on Sunday with an open baraza where we expect to receive hundreds of members from opposition parties ready to hand over their party cards to receive new NRM cards,” she said.

"We want to ensure that all our supporters are registered and able to vote for their preferred candidates in the party primaries and the general elections," Kabanda said. 

"This is a critical step towards ensuring the party's victory in the upcoming elections to correct mistakes which happened in 2021 when the party got minimal support in the central region," she assured.

Party chairman for Kampala city and Central Division mayor, Salim Uhuru Nsubuga, revealed that the registration exercise will be carried out in all the city's divisions, with party members being encouraged to turn up in large numbers to have their details registered.

"We want to make sure that all our members are properly registered and captured in our database," Uhuru said.

The registration exercise is being conducted using the party's yellow books, which were introduced as a way of mobilising and organising party members. The books contain details of each member, including their name, address, phone number, and national ID numbers.

"This will enable us to effectively mobilise our members and ensure that they are able to participate fully in the party's activities during primaries and general elections in 2016."

Mixed turn up

NRM registrar Joreth Marato said that the turn up was high at Kakajjo I zone with 989 members coming to update their records during registration.

“I have registered and updated old members of Kakajjo II zone with 760 members coming to update their names in the register,” Rogers Niwagaba, the NRM registrar revealed.

Geoffrey Nseeko, the NRM registrar of K10 village said that the turn up was very low with three people coming to update their names.

“I have registered only five members, but many people are not yet aware of this exercise because we have started today and many people tend to come on the last day,” Josephine Engiku, the K11 registrar in Kyambogo parish said.

Prof. James Francis Kasingabalya, the NRM registrar at K2 village in Kyambogo parish, said that the turnout increased in the afternoon when supporters heard that the exercise had started.

“We have started slowly but we picked after lunch when many realised that we started in the morning,” he revealed.