NRM ring fences presidential, party chairperson slots for Museveni

KAMPALA - The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party has ring-fenced the Presidential and Party Chairman slots for President Yoweri Museveni as their sole candidate.

Earlier today, President Museveni, accompanied by the first lady to Kyadondo-based party electoral commission to pick nomination forms for the party presidential flag bearer and the party chairperson.

Before Museveni’s arrival, Dr. Tanga Odoi, the party's electoral commission chairperson, revealed that he was extremely happy that the party chairperson had physically come to pick up nomination forms for himself and would physically return them.

“I am very excited to host his excellency two or three times. That means a vote of confidence. As NRM, we are very excited to have a leader who comes down to the people on whatever level. We have had a number of leaders who think that they live in the sky.

President Museveni lives here, and he is with us, and he associates with us. I am very happy that the electoral process is picking up momentum,” Odoi said.

Museveni was in company of the First Lady and education minister Janet Kataha Museveni. (All Photos by Simon Peter Tumwine)

“The two positions that we have are for President Museveni unless otherwise noted. I want to tell the country boldly, and I am not going to pretend about it. If the President expresses interest in both positions, he will take them.

We do not want to gamble in NRM for anyone who comes from the blue he wants to contest as a Presidential candidate or party chairperson when I am here. No way,” Odoi said.

Before verifying President Museveni's credentials and his nomination forms, Odoi first introduced the old and new teams that he works with at the party's Electoral Commission offices and the administrative secretaries and registrars across the country.

He revealed that in the party's structural elections, the party managed to have elections in all 72,000 villages, adding that the party currently has a total of 2,016,000 leaders in villages across Uganda.

"Our conviction is that if these leaders mobilise at the village level, or the subcounty or district level, and walk with two other leaders, they bring the President victory even without him campaigning,” Odoi said.

He noted that the party electoral commission has played its part, adding that the mobilisation team led by Rosemary Sseninde have to play their part.

Odoi revealed that the party carried out elections at the parish level in 10731 parishes, and the party managed to have 3021 leaders, adding that in a total round of all the elections that the party has, the party has a total of 2,557,560 leaders in all structural elections.

Odoi noted that the party had a total of 1.3m flag bearers under the special interest groups, adding that during the national special interest groups, the party swept majority of the elections in Kampala.

Hudreds of NRM supporters welcomed the president as he arrived the NRM party head offices.

Out of the 2718 candidates that are aspiring to be flag bearers for the party at both LC5 and Members of Parliament, the party has so far nominated 2254 candidates and out of these, 16 are unopposed, Odoi said.

He noted that within a time frame of two days since the expression of interest for CEC members that started on June 26, a total of 119 candidates have picked up nomination forms.

“Now that we have one person who has come to pick nomination forms for both presidential flag bearer and party chairperson, the constitution gives power to handle all elections within the organ of the party, and this commission declares candidates that have been nominated and unopposed,” Odoi said.

He added, “The commission is starting a process which we called for, and you are the only candidate that has shown up. Picking of nomination forms for CEC members will run until July 1, and we shall be nominated until July 5.

We have changed nomination date because the congestion in Kampala on Friday is usually too much, and there, we are requesting your excellence to extend it by one day, and we request you your excellence that you be nominated last on July 5,” Odoi said.

Uganda's Vice-President Jessica Alupo, Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among, and her deputy Thomas Tayebwa were in attendance as President Yoweri Museveni picked nomination forms for both presidential flag bearer and NRM party chairpersonship at the party headquarters, Kyadondo in Kampala.

While remarking, Museveni revealed that wherever he has been moving to during the Parish Development (PDM) tours, many Ugandans have constantly asked him to present himself as the party's national chairperson of the NRM party and NRM presidential candidate.

“I thank the NRM fraternity because when I have been going upcountry for PDM, everywhere in public meetings, there have been resolutions passed, and petitions signed requesting me to offer myself to be the chairman of the NRM again.

I have decided to come forward and see how to escort the 'Bazzukulu', and their parents, forward for another five years,” Museveni said, adding that on top of his agenda in the next five years is fighting corruption.

Museveni also cautioned the Ugandans against being bribed by candidates during the election.

“Don’t accept any money from anybody to elect him/her. Elect one if he or she can be a good overseer,” Museveni said.