KABALE: Registrars warned against registering non-Ugandans in NRM’s Yellow Book

Kabale, (UG):- The Minister of the State for Trade, Hon David Bahati has warned the Kabale District NRM party registrars against registering non-Uganda or underage persons as party members in the yellow book as registration of new members and register update exercise begins next week.

Launched last month on Wednesday, 28, 2024 by H.E President Museveni who also doubles as the NRM National Chairman, the exercise for registering and updating details of members for the ruling party members is slated to kick off on March 13 ahead of the 2026 general election.

Mr Bahati, who is also the Kabale District National Resistance Movement (NRM) chairman was Saturday speaking to the party registrars during a workshop training on the rules of the registration exercise where he warned that anyone found guilty of such acts will be convicted of fraud, which attracts a minimum of 7 years in jail.

“Do not attempt to register non-Ugandans during the NRM party registration exercise. Any Sub County registrar or village coordinators involved in acts of illegal registration of members shall be convicted and sentenced to seven years imprisonment once proven guilty,” Minister Bahati warned.

“Make a clean NRM party register in your villages because this is the bottom line of strengthening our party,” he added.

In case of disputes, Bahati advised the registrars to apply dialogue as members of one family. “Mobilize all our NRM party supporters to participate in the member registration exercise and remind them to always turn up for voting party members during party primary elections,” he said.

Mr Bahati also emphasized that 2026 would be a landmark year due to the party’s preparedness, and that will be a historic victory for President Museveni in Uganda.

“In the last 2021 election, the NRM party registered 10 million voters, but our president was able to win with only 5 million votes. Where did the rest go? It’s our duty now to mobilize our supporters who haven’t registered as NRM members to turn up and vote massively for this coming historic vote. Those who don’t turn up to vote waste their constitutional right to choose their leaders,” Bahati was quoted as saying.

The minister further advised members to reject internal intrigue. He stressed that the NRM party must strive for perpetual existence and growth in strength. He cited Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM), a Tanzanian political party with a long history of success, and the African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa as examples for NRM to emulate.

“We have seen revolutionary political parties do a great job but end up collapsing. This will not be the case for NRM. We must build it strong, promote unity instead of intrigue, and avoid falling apart like KANU of Kenya and many others, like UPC which has only five members in Kabale. NRM must remain strong even after the Museveni era,” Bahati was quoted.

Mr Bahati further asked Ugandans to always be vigilant and support security agencies in fighting crime, citing the example of boda boda men who pursued and captured suspected killers of Buganda’s Ndiga clan head, Daniel Bbosa.

Nakawa Deputy Resident City Commissioner, Sheik Kassimu Kamugisha, who is also an aspiring Kabale municipality MP called for a transparent registration exercise that will keep all the party members united and ready to win all the political seats in the district.

Mr Kamugisha also reminded the Kabale NRM party leaders about the four NRM principles: patriotism, pan-Africanism, social-economic transformation and democracy.

The Kabale District NRM Registrar, Ms Barbra Ainebyoona asked the Sub County registrars to shun politicians who plan to use them for personal and political gains.