By Kazibwe Jamil
The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) is scheduled to kick off its internal election process on May 6, 2025. Dr. Tanga Odoi, the party’s Electoral Commission Chairperson, has already called for expressions of interest for various elective positions, pegged to the payment of nomination fees.
Sadly, all this is happening in the glaring absence of an official party register.
In his own words, Dr. Tanga has publicly lamented the situation, stating, in a widely circulated WhatsApp group, “Which registers? NRM EC hasn’t received anything like registers from the Secretariat. Hey guys.”
This shocking admission by the party’s EC boss, whose contract was recently renewed by the National Chairman, highlights the gravity of the situation and highlights what can only be described as sheer incompetence by the team at Plot 10, Kyadondo Road, the seat of the NRM Secretariat.
It has since emerged that the highly technical and sensitive task of compiling the NRM membership register was entrusted to a group of young employees from the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), reportedly chosen based on sectarian considerations rather than merit.
The result? A party register that controversially boasts more members than the entire national voters’ roll managed by the Independent Electoral Commission, a statistical absurdity by any measure.
It is this confusion and mistrust that is forcing many senior NRM leaders to reconsider seeking the party’s endorsement. A growing number are weighing the option of running as independents in the forthcoming general elections to avoid being entangled in the anticipated chaos.
A case in point is Minister Sekindi of Kalungu, who has already gone public with her decision not to seek the NRM ticket, opting instead to stand as an independent candidate.
With the internal polls just days away and no credible register in place, the NRM faces a looming crisis — one that was entirely predictable and avoidable had competency and transparency taken precedence over parochialism and expediency.
The writer is an NRM Cadre and political analyst
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