NRM calls for unity as Party embarks on countrywide mobilisation for village polls

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The National Resistance Movement (NRM) has issued a strong call for party unity as it dispatches senior leaders across the country.

According to a statement from the NRM secretariat on Tuesday (July 21), all teams deployed are centrally focused on unity and massive grassroots mobilisation ahead of the forthcoming Village Women Council and Local Council I (LC I) elections.

Over the weekend, senior leaders from the NRM Secretariat fanned out across the country, holding sub-regional entry meetings in Acholi, West Nile, Lango, Bugisu, Karamoja, Bukedi, Greater Masaka, Greater Mubende, Greater Luwero, Greater Mukono, Ankole, Rwenzori, Kigezi, and Bunyoro. The engagements brought together Members of Parliament, district party chairpersons and leaders and other party officials to harmonise mobilisation strategies and rally support for official NRM flagbearers.

"A common message emerged from all the meetings: the party's strength begins in the village, and internal unity will determine its success in the grassroots elections," the statement said.

Closing the Acholi sub-regional entry meeting in Gulu City, NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong described LC1 chairpersons as the foundation of both the party and national leadership.

"Every village is made up of households, and within the NRM party, the LC1 chairpersons are the party's household leaders. They are the bridge between the people and the leadership, reaching communities that even the President cannot reach personally," Todwong said.

According to Todwong, strong village structures are essential for maintaining a vibrant party organisation capable of effectively serving communities and sustaining the NRM's growth across the country. He added that the party had already identified LC1 flagbearers in almost all villages, with attention now focused on ensuring their victory in the forthcoming elections.

Todwong, however, expressed concern over reports that some party leaders were financing independent candidates to challenge officially endorsed NRM flagbearers.

"We have already received intelligence regarding this political disease, where established leaders are undermining the party by backing independents against our official choices," he warned, urging leaders to desist from practices that weaken party cohesion.

The NRM Secretary General also reflected on reforms undertaken at the party secretariat, saying they had recovered from years of financial difficulties. He revealed that all outstanding debts inherited from previous election cycles had been cleared, enabling the NRM to embark on constructing permanent district offices across the country.

Todwong revealed that the party had reserved sh11 billion collected through expression of interest fees, noting that this money is specifically for building district offices. For regional hubs and a new national headquarters, Todwong said the party was also planning to have them in place as part of efforts to decentralise party operations.

In Greater Masaka, NRM Deputy Secretary General Rose Namayanja called on members to end internal divisions ahead of the LC1 and Women Council elections.

Speaking to party leaders, Namayanja said NRM's greatest challenge was not the political opposition but internal disagreements that had previously cost the party electoral victories.

She noted that many members who lost party primaries had contested as independents, splitting the NRM vote in several constituencies despite voters identifying both groups as members of the same party.

"The opposition is not the biggest problem facing the NRM. Our greatest challenge is ourselves because we undermine and fight one another," Namayanja said, warning leaders against interfering with officially endorsed candidates.

In Bukedi, National Treasurer Ambassador Barbara Nekesa Oundo urged leaders to intensify grassroots mobilisation, describing villages as the bedrock of the party's organisational strength.

She said while national elections often attract more public attention, LC elections are equally significant because they directly influence service delivery and implementation of government programmes.

"The village is where our strength begins, and we must remain connected with our people through strong grassroots structures," she said, before encouraging leaders to use the village barazas scheduled before polling day to popularise NRM candidates.

In Bugisu, the NRM concluded its sub-regional entry meeting in Mbale City with a renewed appeal for unity while paying tribute to veteran statesman Gen. Moses Ali, whose passing was described as a great loss to the nation.

Addressing journalists after the meeting, NRM Director for Communication Emmanuel Lumala Dombo said the countrywide engagements were intended to prepare Members of Parliament, district leaders, and other party officials for the forthcoming grassroots elections while conveying President Yoweri Museveni's message on unity, mobilisation and service to the people.

Dombo said President Museveni had thanked NRM supporters for their continued confidence in the party and urged leaders to remain focused on wealth creation, poverty eradication, peace and national unity as Uganda pursues its goal of attaining a $500 billion economy.

He said the President emphasised that peace and stability remain the foundation of development and called on leaders to continue supporting government programmes such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga, while promoting national reconciliation and regional integration. Dombo also urged all eligible women and voters to participate in the Women Council elections on July 23 and the LC1 elections on July 28, saying the grassroots polls are vital in strengthening the party's structures.

The mobilisation drive also reached West Nile, where Director of Finance Hajjati Medina Naham thanked residents for their overwhelming support during the recently concluded general elections and urged them to replicate the same commitment during the LC1 polls.

In Kampala Metropolitan, the party Director for Mobilisation and Cadre Development, Rosemary Seninde, who also serves as team leader for the area, led the party's mobilisation efforts, reinforcing the call for unity and grassroots organisation ahead of the village elections.

Other speakers included Aldrine Kobusingye, the chairperson of the NRM National Women's League; Deputy National Treasurer Jacqueline Kyatuhaire; NRM director for external affairs Maj. (Rtd) Pollar Awich; director of youth and institutions Okwir Rwabwoni; and NRM Electoral Commission Deputy Chairperson Jachan Omach.

Others were NRM Electoral Commission members: Zaituni Driwaru, James Kinobe, Juliana Modesta, and James Tweheyo, who emphasised that strong village leadership remains the foundation of the party and cautioned members against sponsoring independent candidates.

In Karamoja, leaders rallied members to remain united behind President Museveni and the party leadership while working collectively to secure victory for all NRM flagbearers.

The leaders stressed that grassroots mobilisation, discipline and teamwork were essential towards protecting the party's achievements and strengthening its structures across the region.

The national Electoral Commission has set July 23, 2026, as the polling day for Women Council Elections across Uganda, while the LC1 elections will be held on July 28, 2026, across the over 71,000 villages countrywide.

According to the EC chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama, voting will be conducted by an open queue system, with voters lining up behind their preferred candidates, their designated agents, or candidates’ portraits.