By KT Reporter
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) has won every seat in the greater Nebbi districts in the recent Local Council III elections. This includes Nebbi, Zombo, and Pakwach districts, meaning the NRM has taken over areas that used to support the opposition.
The FDC party, which was once popular with young people in the greater Nebbi districts, has lost its identity in recent years. This has helped the NRM party, as more young people have joined the NRM and helped make it stronger, leading to more votes for the NRM.
According to the party leaders, NRM’s win is a milestone because it shows the party’s continued dominance in Uganda politics, particularly at the local government level, where socio-economic transformation has taken a deeper outlook in the political NRM party systems.
George Kermundu, the district NRM party chairman for Nebbi district, has attributed the 100 per cent NRM win in the greater Nebbi district to the strong and formidable party structure that the NRM party has cemented at the community level.
“A clean sweep in key districts like Nebbi can energise party supporters and candidates through improved service delivery focusing on wealth creation at the grassroots level”, Kemundu said.
In the Nebbi district, candidates in the three sub-counties of Parombo Town Council, Padwot, and Jupangira sub-counties, the NRM flag bearers went unopposed. In the other 12 lower local governments, NRM candidates won in all the areas. T
Jackline Opar, Mayor-elect for Nebbi Municipality, attributed her win to the NRM grassroots structures and mobilisation, including Parish Development Model (PDM), Youth groups, and women’s league.
“The party’s history of bringing peace and stability to Uganda, particularly in the West Nile region, has contributed to its strong support and trust in the current NRM leadership”, Opar said.
Gilbert Ochan, the Forum for Democratic Change party Chairman for Pakwach district, described the recent NRM win in the greater Nebbi districts due to excessive intimidation lodged by the NRM party leadership at the grassroots level.
He added that since there were frequent political threats and intimidations at the grassroots for the opposition’s supporters, the opposition couldn’t field their candidates to compete freely with NRM flag bearers for political seats.
“There was too much commercialisation of politics deeply rooted by the NRM party right from the national level to the grassroots, disabling oppositions’ strongholds, and since the oppositions were financially handcuffed, the NRM flag bearers took advantage of winning all the political seats”, Ochan said.
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