Tanga ends impasse for Jinja City NRM woman primaries
Odoi said the election exercise of their flag bearers for the women council committees at the Jinja City Council level had turned tense, with violent clashes as a result of leaders taking sides.
Dr Tanga Odoi, Chairperson of the NRM Electoral Commission, flashes the party symbol as he leaves Jinja Secondary School after overseeing the election of the party’s flag bearer for the Jinja City Women Council Committee on Monday. (Photo by Jackie Nambogga).
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The chairperson of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Electoral Commission, Dr Tanga Odoi, has blamed the Jinja City party leaders for fueling internal fights during the election of the women council committees.
Odoi said the election exercise of their flag bearers for the women council committees at the Jinja City Council level had turned tense, with violent clashes as a result of leaders taking sides.
The race, which attracted two contestants, Fauza Namiiro and Esther Mirembe, left their supporters fighting and clashing due to divisions created by party leaders.
Whereas Namiiro had retained her seat as the chairperson of the women's council committee in Jinja City Northern Division, this was to the contrary in Jinja City Southern Division.
Before, Rehema Birungi had been voted chairperson while Mirembe as the general secretary, according to a declaration form signed by Moses Nyiiro, the NRM registrar in charge of the southern division on August 12, 2026.
However, in a twist of events, the southern division women's committee is said to have resolved to swap their positions.
The changes would see Mirembe shifting from her initial post as general secretary to the top seat, which was won by Birungi.
Meanwhile, Birungi would also swap the post of vice chairperson with Justine Nangobi, who had been elected general secretary.
However, Odoi, in his August 17, 2026 maintained that the status quo regarding the initial nominations of their flag bearers in the two divisions remained.
In the Northern division, the document indicated that Namiiro was its chairperson, deputised by Florence Nabirye, while Stellah Namukose, Faridah Namulondo and Justine Kalembe were the committee’s secretary, publicity and finance secretary respectively.
Meanwhile, in the Southern division, Odoi clarified that Birungi was the committee’s chairperson, deputised by Justine Nangobi.
He emphasised that EMirembe was its secretary, as Ruth Namaganda Babirye and Florence Wanyenya were for publicity and finance secretaries, respectively.
However, three days later, the chairperson of NRM Jinja City Southern Division, Majidu Musongola, would go on to declare Mirembe as their flag bearer for the Jinja City Women Council Committee chairperson.
On Friday, the party had organised its final polls at the Jinja City Hall but Namiiro declined to take part, and Mirembe maintained that they had proceeded with it and that she had gone through unopposed.
On the other hand, Namiiro also wrote a letter indicating how she had been endorsed by the Jinja city NRM chairperson Edwin Lufafa.
On Monday (August 24), Odoi clarified how their Secretary General, Richard Todwong, had asked Lufafa to step aside in this entire NRM nomination exercise of their flag bearers for Jinja City.
He said Todwong’s decision came after establishing that Lufafa was found conflicted in supporting one camp against another.
For the remaining exercise, Todwong mandated their city administrative secretary, Asuman Kamba, to oversee the processes.
With guidance from their legal team, Odoi said it was only the position of the chairperson of the Jinja City Women Council Committee which was still pending.
However, as they headed into fresh polls under tight security, another contestation arose regarding two members of the electoral college who had earlier in the morning nominated an independent candidate, Alisat Newumbe, to also vie for the slot.
Odoi instructed the two, Harriet Mirembe and Sarah Musubika, to step aside for exhibiting an act of indiscipline.
As a result, this reduced the number of eligible voters to 21, who participated in a heated race where Namiro emerged victorious with 12 votes as Mirembe polled 9.
She congratulated her opponent, saying the game had concluded and they needed to work for the people.
“I was after fair representation for the top city committee because all the rest of the slots were taken by the northern division; this shows greed by our own leaders,” she said.