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With only days remaining to the commencement of the ruling NRM’s National Conference to be held at Kololo, those battling for some of the 16 Central Executive Committee (CEC) positions are making final touches to leave no stone unturned.
There are several races to be competed in but the one of Rebecca Kadaga and Anita Among, seeking for the position of 2nd National Vice Chairperson, has stood out so far. Kadaga has characteristically been very belligerent; throwing all manner of burbs at her rival who has opted to be the adult in the room by being restrained.
Whereas Anita Among has promised to infuse new energy and vibe to strengthen mobilization, Kadaga (who has occupied the position since 2005) has prioritized transparency in the management of party resources and empowerment of people in party structures.
In the past few days, Kadaga campaigned in Greater Mukono where she explained why she is better than her sole competitor Anita Among, who stands to benefit from a network of MPs and new flag bearers, all of whom have voting rights at the National Conference of the Movement.
In the greater north, ex-Minister Sam Engola and a few others are struggling to fill the vacuum that was left by the late Jacob Oulanyah who died at the time (March 2022) when he had just become the party’s Vice Chairman for the region. Ex-EALA Speaker Dan Kidega, currently working at Makerere University, Disaster Preparedness Minister Hillary Onek and GCW Hamson Obua also want that same job.
There is also moneybags King Ceasar Augustus Mulenga who wants to become the new Chairman for NRM Entrepreneurs League but is facing competition from Hassan Bassajabalaba, Diaspora-based Phillip Kakuru and ex-Tororo Municipality MP Sanjay Tana.
The incumbent has been Amproc Mwesigwa Rukaari who has controversially bowed out after doing 10 years. Rukaari wants to reclaim his Mbarara City MP Seat on the independent ticket, which made his CEC re-election bid untenable.
Mulenga has prioritized fighting poverty among fellow NRMs by putting forward Shs1.8bn to go into female and youth entrepreneur’s’ saccos across the country which he has demarcated into 18 development regions. He has offered Shs100m for each such regional sacco.
The one of Eastern region is another complex race whereby the long-serving incumbent Mike Mukula is facing off with David Calvin Echodu. The Mukula opponent is wealthy, generous, flamboyant and globally connected. All these have made him hard to ignore and even the President was forced to meet him recently after realizing that he was causing plenty of tidal waves on the campaign trail.
Anti-incumbency sentiments will most likely diminish the chances for Mike Mukula who has held that position since 2005. In 2020, he strategically allied with Rebecca Kadaga who was a very powerful actor at that time as Speaker of Parliament.
This time round, Mukula has allied himself with Anita Among and it remains to be seen if that will be sufficient to overcome Echodu the way the Kadaga alliance enabled him defeat Sanjay Tana in 2020. Echodu says its time for new energy and leadership that will deliver tangible things for the NRM adherents beyond mere rhetoric.
Lydia Wanyoto also faces Faridah Kibowa, the National Women Council Chairperson, who is determined to come in as the new Chairperson NRM Women League. Wanyoto has been the incumbent since 2016 when she replaced Jacqueline Mbabazi and she faces challenges that come with being an incumbent of 10 years.
The other race that has created a lot of excitement and political activity inside NRM is that of Party Vice Chairperson for Buganda (aka Central) region. In the running are incumbent Godfrey Kiwanda whose predecessor Hajji Abdul Nadduli has endorsed Minister Haruna Kasolo who he recently accompanied to Bulange Mengo where he secured Katikkiro Peter Mayiga’s endorsement.
Mayiga said that Kasolo (who comes from Greater Masaka/Buddu just like him) was someone the Kingdom has always done services delivery business with, making it clear this will become more amplified once Kasolo becomes CEC member.
The endorsement by Kabaka’s establishment increased Kasolo’s acceptability among delegates from other parts of the country because there is clear nervousness around the possibility of Gen Museveni and NRM recapturing Buganda come 2026.
One of the founders of “Buganda for Museveni” campaign, Haruna Kasolo has been accepted as the man who must lead the NRM squad as the country counts down to 2026. He is down-to-earth and widely accepted as a good man not only at Mengo but also at Kibuli where Prince Kassim Nakibinge has always rolled out the red carpet for him.
He was recently chosen to lead the NRM delegation at Kabaka Mutebi’s 32nd coronation anniversary celebrations at Kibuli Hill. This is something pundits took note of to imply Kasolo’s growing influence as an effective bridge between Buganda/Mengo and the Central government.
Key ruling NRM elders and opinion leaders from the central region like ex-VPs Gilbert Bukenya & Edward Sekandi; Kira Mayor Mamerito Mugerwa, Entebbe Mayor Stephen Kabuge, Hajji Moses Kigongo etc have all lately come out to embrace and associate with Haruna Kasolo openly. All this has amplified support for the Kasolo CEC bid.
A few days ago, delegates from Lango sub region met and endorsed Kasolo while christening him “Omara,” which means a beloved hero. In West Nile, delegates welcomed him on grounds that he has a clear manifesto and that his Myoga program had delivered tangible transformation in the lives of people in their sub region.
Cadres in Bugisu sub region endorsed Kasolo because they liked his demand to have NRM District and Sub County Chairpersons to become non-voting members who sit LC5 and LC3 councils respectively. The incoming Kyotera County MP has eloquently been explaining how this will accelerate service delivery and inclusive decision-making in all local governments across Buganda.
In Butambala, delegates prayed for Kasolo in meetings during the weekend and also donated goats and chicken to him. They made it clear that, being their fellow Muslim, Kasolo deserves a block vote from their area, which they promised to deliver in the ballot box at Kololo. One speaker described him as the most hardworking and visible Minister in Museveni’s Cabinet besides the Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja.
In Greater Mpigi, women sang songs as Kasolo visited to ask for support and vowed to kill him with votes at Kololo because, in their own words, his name “Kasolo” means a lot to them.
In Kalangala, where he campaigned a few days ago, Islanders cheerfully rolled out the red carpet for him saying they had a duty to reciprocate the Shs250m he parted with to invest in establishment of public toilets in their area, by giving him a block vote. These public toilet facilities were donated by Kasolo years before he even declared interest in the CEC position.
In warming up to Haruna Kasolo, thousands of NRM delegates have reflected on the clear sharp contrast between him and his opponents who include Moses Karangwa, the Kayunga NRM Chairman, who has remained contemptuous and generally lukewarm towards the Buganda Kingdom government. Many at Mengo would want him to publicly denounce Ssaabanyara (rival king based in Kayuga) and demonstrate loyalty and allegiance to the Kabaka.
Many delegates have also failed to understand what Karangwa stands for beyond merely giving transport refund and promising a bull to delegates from each district that he will win in. The other option would be Godfrey Kiwanda who, however, faces incumbency-related problems and poor mobilization trackrecord.
Kiwanda’s chances were recently further blunted when he failed to win the NRM flag bearer race for Mityana North. There are other peripheral contestants (namely Joseph Mukasa Sewava, Jozzy Niwabwine and Hakim Kyeswa) who are barely known beyond the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area and their respective home districts.
The other heavyweights who sit in NRM’s CEC include the National Chairman, National Vice Charman, the 6 regional Vice Chairpersons for Buganda, East, North and West plus the two special regions of Kampala & Karamoja.
The Secretary General, Deputy SG, National Treasurer, Deputy NT, the GCW/Chairperson of the NRM caucus in Parliament, the National League Chairpersons and a few others also sit in CEC. The National Chairman is also mandated to nominate some members on the account of their seniority and historical contribution.
