Echodu beats Naigaga to eastern NRM vice-chairperson seat after Mukula pulls out of race

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David Calvin Echodu has been declared the winner of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) internal party elections for vice-chairperson, eastern region.

Echodu, who threw himself into the limelight by declaring intentions to dislodge Captain Mike Mukula from a key NRM central executive committee (CEC) position, recently said there is complacency in the party leadership and, as a result, some party leaders have let President Museveni down.

During the CEC elections held late Wednesday, August 27, 2025, at the Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala, Echodu faced off with Mariam Naigaga. According to the results declared by NRM electoral commission chairperson Dr Tanga Odoi, Echodu garnered 5,211, reflecting 99.5% of the total votes cast against Naigaga's 253 votes.

Soroti district-based Echodu threw his hat into the ring for one of NRM’s most coveted positions, which Mukula has held for 16 years. 

Mukula, who was also vying to retain the same seat, pulled out at the ninth hour and threw his weight behind Echodu late Wednesday.

NRM's CEC is not merely a party structure; it is the de facto nucleus of political decision-making in Uganda, and advises party chairperson President Yoweri Museveni and often serves as the final arbiter on matters ranging from parliamentary candidature to Cabinet appointments.

So, to be on CEC is to have a direct hand in shaping Uganda’s political architecture, according to political analyst Crispin Kaheru, a member of the Uganda Human Rights Commission.

Echodu, in an earlier interview with New Vision Online, said his election will bring new energy to NRM, even though there is a lot of talk that NRM is experiencing a major decline with the emergence of a populist National Unity Platform (NUP) of musician turned politician Bobi Wine aka Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu.

“The grassroots communities trust the NRM. Some of our leaders, however, have let down the president and the party in terms of staying grounded. Some of the incumbents within the party leadership representing the East [region] have strayed away from the grassroots,” he said.

Born and raised in Soroti district, the man who describes himself as a patriot bound by faith, duty and love for his people, says he understands the pulse of eastern Uganda because he has been an active participant in the NRM machinery, contributing structurally and operationally since 2006.

Echodu, who has been a party member since 2001, said there is a growing disconnect between the top echelons of the NRM and its grassroots base.

“Our president tirelessly builds trust among the people, but if regional leaders stray from this mission, even lower-level structures suffer”.