Kampala central mayor Uhuru unseats Katongole from NRM position

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Kampala Central Division Mayor Salim Uhuru has emerged victorious in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Kampala region vice-chairperson race.

The seat is part of the hotly contested slots of the ruling NRM's central executive committee (CEC), which is the top decision-making body of the party.

Kampala Central Division Mayor Salim Uhuru celebrates with some of his supporters after he was declared the winner for the NRM Kampala region vice-chairperson. (Photo by Joseph Mutebi)

During the CEC elections held late Wednesday, August 27, 2025, at the Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala, Uhuru faced off with incumbent Marwaha Singh Katongole Paminder.

Results declared by NRM electoral commission chairperson, Dr Tanga Odoi, indicate that Katongole lost his seat to Uhuru, who garnered 2,411 votes (63.20%). Katongole, on the other hand, got 1,375 votes. The duo was in the race with Collins Andrew Bukenya, who marshalled a paltry 29 votes of the 3,815 total votes cast.

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.

Bribery allegations

The CEC election were among the various activities of the August 27-28, 2025, NRM delegates conference.

However, the conference has been marred by bribery allegations as reports emerged that some candidates were dishing out cash ranging between shillings 300,000 and one million or more.

“People have money in sacks, and they are giving it out. I have never seen money in sacks, but I have seen it this time,” Uhuru told journalists. 

“So, for me with my small business, I cannot match those big tycoons who are running with such kind of money,” he added.

Bribery allegations, among others, saw the election of the chairperson of the party’s entrepreneurs’ league suspended on Monday until further notice.

There were unconfirmed reports that entrepreneurs’ league delegates were being offered sh8m each, with some of them complaining. This is said to have forced former Tororo municipality MP Sanjay Tanna to pull out of the race. 

Before the elections started yesterday, Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, an incumbent CEC member who has since lost to Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, also said she was disturbed by the commercialisation of politics.

Kampala Central Division Mayor Salim Uhuru celebrates with some of his supporters after he was declared the winner for the NRM Kampala region vice-chairperson. (Photo by Joseph Mutebi)

“The kind of expenditure is unprecedented. If we are not careful, time will come when those who have money are the ones who get elected, not because they are good quality leaders, but because they have paid the voters. So, it is something we have to worry about. I hope we can find a way of curbing it,” Kadaga, 69, observed.

On August 12, the NRM secretary-general, Richard Todwong, warned deep-pocketed candidates vying for various CEC seats against using money to disorganise the party ahead of voting. This was during a meeting called at the party’s electoral commission offices on Kyadondo Road, Kampala, to remind all candidates of the code of conduct for the elections.

“Some of you are blessed and you have a lot of money, kindly don’t use that money to disorganise our party,” Todwong implored the candidates. The deep pockets exhibited by some delegates also left Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa unsettled.