Rose Namayanja Nsereko, the Deputy Secretary General of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), has ordered the reinstatement of party flagbearers who were controversially replaced ahead of the upcoming Village (LC I) and Women Council elections.
The directive follows petitions by at least 45 NRM LC I flagbearers from Lwemiyaga, Mawogola West and Mawogola North constituencies in Ssembabule District. The petitioners accused some sub-county NRM registrars of refusing to sign and stamp their endorsement letters, effectively blocking their nomination by the Electoral Commission.
The affected members allege that the registrars ignored party guidelines and instead facilitated the nomination of independent candidates, presenting them as official NRM flagbearers.
Some of the affected villages include Kitokolo, Sagazi B, Kyanja B, Nabitanga, Kirama D, Lwemibu A, Lwamatengo, Merumeru, Kyabanju, Kiruruma and Lwensakala, among others.
As a result of the dispute, several official NRM flagbearers opted to seek nomination as independent candidates while awaiting the party’s decision.
Speaking during the Greater Masaka regional harmonisation meeting ahead of the lower local council elections, Namayanja condemned what she described as misconduct by the implicated registrars. She directed Ssembabule District NRM Chairperson Phinehas Katirima to ensure that all affected party flagbearers are reinstated.
Namayanja also revealed that the party had received complaints alleging that some individuals sold land and paid money to registrars to secure NRM tickets.
She ordered investigations into the implicated registrars, saying any officials found guilty of misconduct would be held accountable.
According to Namayanja, such actions undermine the party’s core values, create confusion among supporters and jeopardise the NRM’s efforts to secure grassroots leadership positions.
Anifa Bangirana, the state minister for Health in Charge of General Duties, also MP for Mawogola West, alleged that many of the candidates smuggled in by the registrars are known opposition sympathisers who will sabotage the NRM party upon election.
She warns that it the anomaly is not rectified, the party will gravely be affected because it will have untrustworthy leaders at the grassroots. However, Lwebitakuli Sub-county Registrar Ismail Byabakama defended the replacement of the affected flagbearers.
He accused some of them of previously campaigning for independent parliamentary candidates during past elections, contrary to party principles. Byabakama further claimed that others had defected to different political parties before later returning to seek election as NRM flagbearers.
Meanwhile, NRM Greater Masaka Regional Coordinator Godfrey Kiwanda Suubi appealed to party leaders to put aside their differences and unite behind all NRM candidates to maximise the party’s chances of victory in the grassroots elections.
The harmonisation meetings are part of the NRM Secretariat’s nationwide mobilisation campaign ahead of the Women Council elections scheduled for July 23 and the LC I Chairperson elections set for July 28.
Last Friday, the NRM Secretariat flagged off mobilisation teams to all regions of the country to engage party leaders and members, popularise the party’s electoral roadmap, and rally support for NRM candidates in the forthcoming grassroots elections-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
