Newly elected NRM leaders told to bridge gap with grassroots

___________________

Newly elected district, city, and municipality chairpersons of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party have been urged to strengthen ties with grassroots communities and serve as a vital link between the public and party leadership.

The call was made during a high-level engagement held on Sunday (June 1), where the party’s top leadership met with the newly elected leaders. The meeting, which runs for three days, is being held under the theme “Strengthening leadership and accountability for enhanced service delivery.”

Leading the discussions were NRM secretary general Richard Todwong, national vice chairperson Hajji Moses Kigongo, and Central Executive Committee (CEC) member for western Uganda, Chris Baryomunsi, alongside other senior party officials.



While addressing the leaders, Todwong urged them to stay adaptable and open to change in order to achieve the party’s goals.

He called on the newly elected leaders to help close the gap between the party and the communities they serve.

“NRM leaders should be mediators of conflict, not creators of conflict,” Todwong added, stressing the importance of listening to and amplifying voices from the grassroots.

He also revealed that the NRM is planning to amend the Local Government Act to designate all NRM leaders from village to district level as ex-officio members of the respective councils.

“We are planning to amend the Local Government Act so that we can have all NRM chairpersons from the village level to the district level become ex-officio,” Todwong said.

National vice chairperson Kigongo appealed to the newly elected leaders not to discourage potential new members from joining the party.

“Many people may want to come and join the movement. Do not chase them away, but rather welcome them to the party. NRM is a mass party that can accommodate everyone,” Kigongo said.

He also issued a warning to party members who choose to run as independents after losing in party primaries, saying such behaviour would not be tolerated.

Hamson Obua, the government chief whip, challenged the new leaders to clearly define their agenda and contribute to national goals, including wealth creation.

“You have a huge mountain to climb and a huge role to accomplish for the party and the country at large,” Obua said, urging leaders to be beacons of hope in the face of challenges rather than resorting to lamentation.

He reminded the chairpersons that they would be at the forefront of the next campaign efforts.

“Although you come from a strong opposition stronghold, you will have to deliver results because even after the general elections, you will have to come back to the party head offices and party chairpersons and give a debrief of what happened,” Obua said.

He added that all leaders must act as watchdogs for the party, including submitting reports where necessary to prompt investigations.