By KT Reporter
A section of National Resistance Movement (NRM) mobilisers in the greater Masaka sub-region has cautioned the party leadership against coercing independent candidates to step down in favour of official flag-bearers, warning that such actions could hand victory to the opposition.
The party is currently embroiled in controversy after several members who lost in the NRM primaries insisted on contesting as independent candidates in the forthcoming elections, despite strong condemnation from the party’s top leadership.
Beyond public criticism, the NRM Secretary General, Richard Todwong, directed all NRM-leaning independent candidates to withdraw from the race and ordered those holding positions within party structures to relinquish their responsibilities.
As Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the candidate, embarked on his campaign in the greater Masaka districts on Thursday, some party mobilisers cautioned that the region presents unique political challenges that must be handled carefully.
Abasi Yiga, the Chairperson of the Kalungu District NRM Youth Council and head of the youth mobilisation taskforce, appealed to the party leadership to refrain from hostility toward NRM-leaning independents. He warned that any miscalculated decisions could further alienate grassroots supporters to the advantage of the opposition.
According to Yiga, some NRM-leaning independent candidates are politically stronger and stand a better chance of winning than the official party flagbearers. He argued that forcing such candidates out of the race would only benefit opposition contenders.
Among the notable NRM-leaning independents in the area is the incumbent Kalungu District Woman MP and State Minister for Water, Aisha Ssekindi, who did not participate in the party primaries.
The other is Irene Mwebe, the district NRM Vice Chairperson, who is contesting as an independent for the Kalungu East parliamentary seat after rejecting the primary election results.
In Lyantonde District, the NRM District Chairperson Deborah Rwabogo, alongside the party Treasurer and incumbent Woman MP Pauline Kemirembe Kyaka, are both contesting as independents for the same position against the official party flagbearer.
Other defiant party leaders include Mary Begumisa, the incumbent Sembabule District Woman MP and NRM General Secretary, as well as Denis Ddumba, the party’s Publicity Secretary, both of whom are also running as independents.
Yiga urged the party’s top leadership to set aside pride and conduct honest assessments of NRM-leaning independent candidates in the region, supporting those who demonstrate stronger grassroots appeal than the official flagbearers.
He argued that backing strong independents is preferable to opening the door for opposition candidates to win leadership positions.
Elli Wasajja, the NRM Publicity Secretary for Kalangala District, similarly appealed to the party to treat the greater Masaka region as a special case. He called for respectful engagement with NRM-leaning independents to strike political compromises, rather than coercing them or branding them rebels.
Wasajja argued that some party tickets were awarded to weaker candidates who prevailed in the primaries through manipulation. He maintained that it would be more strategic for the party to align with stronger, friendly independents than to risk losing seats to the opposition.
Faisal Ssebugwawo, the NRM Youth Chairperson for Masaka City, emphasised that as the party works to regain support in the greater Masaka region, it must act strategically to avoid empowering the opposition. “We need to continue engaging these people and party members instead of condemning them, because if some of them win, they will easily work with the party,” Ssebugwawo said.
However, Rose Namayanja Nsereko, the NRM Deputy Secretary General and a member of the campaign team stationed in the region, said the party cannot abandon its principled positions to satisfy the interests of a few individuals.
She insisted that the NRM cannot compromise on its values and called on all independent candidates to find the courage to step down for the unity and strength of the party.
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