By KT Reporter
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) presidential candidate, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, has issued a stern warning to party members who lost in the NRM primaries but chose to run as independent candidates. He cautioned that such actions could leave an indelible political stain if they cause the party to lose seats to the opposition.
Speaking during a media address at State Lodge in Soroti, Museveni acknowledged that the Constitution allows any Ugandan to stand as an independent candidate. “Constitutionally, you cannot bar somebody who wants to be independent, but we addressed it politically as NRM that they should give room to the NRM party flag bearers. We discussed it in the Constitutional Assembly, but we decided that if you took part in the party primaries, you are barred from contesting as an independent,” he said.
Museveni argued that when an NRM primary loser contests as an independent in a race that also features an NRM flag bearer, and an opposition candidate eventually wins, such an act effectively hands the seat to rival parties. “If you do that, remember you will be condemned forever politically. We shall know that you are the one who caused us to lose,” he warned, urging party members to consider the long-term reputational cost of splitting the vote.
He recalled past electoral cycles, saying the party had lost several seats due to internal divisions. “This is what happened in some of the areas, like in Buganda. We lost about 21 seats because of that,” Museveni said, adding that similar incidents had occurred in other regions.
He accused independents of political selfishness, saying their decisions often undermine the party’s broader interests. To drive his point home, Museveni invoked the Biblical story of King Solomon, who determined the true mother by her willingness to relinquish her child rather than see it harmed.
“Why don’t you be like Solomon? Rather than… I am losing that one system, why don’t you say,” he urged, suggesting that those who lose should step back for the greater good. Museveni defended the integrity of the NRM primary system, describing the “lining up” method—where supporters publicly queue behind candidates—as transparent and difficult to rig. “You line up behind the candidates in the day, not at night. You line up and count. Everybody saw. People are lining up behind the candidates. They counted. You had agents there. But not only agents, even neutral observers could see. So how could you cheat in that situation?” he asked.
He, however, admitted that cases of malpractice may occur and directed aggrieved parties to submit credible complaints for investigation. “You give us facts, we go and check. We shall act criminally against that person. That person will go to jail, the one who ordered, because ordering is a crime,” Museveni said.
He cited recent cases where some registrars had been arrested and charged, urging party members with evidence of wrongdoing to present it formally instead of resorting to independent bids. Museveni also cautioned that even in constituencies dominated by the NRM—where the primary essentially determines the winner—independent candidacies still cause division and confusion among voters.
“Even where they are only NRM, it’s not really correct to be an independent there because you disturb our people. These are all NRM. Now you are forcing them to be NRM pro, NRM pro who… I don’t know who,” he said, noting that local communities often prefer peace to politically charged contests.
The NRM chairperson appealed to party discipline and unity, recalling his own history of struggle and compromise. “That’s what I used to do myself. I had been fighting Amin for eight years. When Amin was about to collapse, people who were doing nothing all gathered to share jobs… they all came and they took all the positions,” he reflected.
Museveni’s remarks come amid rising tensions within the NRM as primary losers and disgruntled factions weigh their options ahead of upcoming national contests. His language—describing post-primary independent bids that hand seats to the opposition as “criminal and politically bankrupt”—signals a zero-tolerance stance toward acts that could weaken party fortunes.
Even so, the president emphasized that there is room for redress through party mechanisms and lawful processes. “If the tribunal didn’t sit, I’m here. I’m the chairman of the NRM. You bring it to me. I’ll go and counter-check. I’ll send my people,” he said. Museveni’s emphasis on evidence-based recourse appeared aimed at discouraging frustrated aspirants from pursuing independent candidacies over perceived injustices in the party’s primary process.
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