Kampala, Uganda: As political temperatures rise ahead of the 2025/2026 General Elections, Kampala-based city lawyer and NRM-leaning political figure, Wadada Rogers Musalo, has said that Ugandans are more interested in service delivery than in political party affiliations or movements.
Speaking to DailyExpress over the weekend, Wadada, who previously contested for the NRM flag in Budadari East MP polls of 2011, said the electorate is fed up with empty politics. “People are looking for services and not party affiliations or movements,” he stated.
When asked whether the influx of new aspirants signals a renewed passion for public service, Wadada responded bluntly: “I doubt, but I think the opposite is true.” He added, “Drawing lessons from the last elections, the NUP wave versus actual service delivery, we are yet to see that translate into meaningful change.”
Concerns Over NRM Roadmap, Internal Democracy
On the NRM’s political roadmap released on April 15 by Secretary-General Rt. Hon. Richard Todwong, Wadada, praised the use of lining up behind candidates, describing it as a cost-effective and peaceful method of electing leaders. However, he raised concerns about internal irregularities.
Citing recent events in Rukungiri District, Wadada pointed to the unopposed re-election of Security Minister Rtd. Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi as District NRM Chairperson after his challenger, Rtd. Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde withdrew over irregularities.
He also referenced events in Sironko, where businessman and veteran mobiliser Mafabi Suleiman Lumolo was declared NRM District Chairperson unopposed after his sole challenger, State Minister for Karamoja Affairs and Woman MP Florence Nambozo, stormed out of the venue minutes before voting began, accusing organizers of rigging and denying her supporters access to the polling station.
Nambozo also pulled out of a separate election for the NRM Women’s League in Mutufu Sub-county, citing intimidation and voter manipulation.
According to Wadada, such incidents expose deeper dysfunctions in the ruling party. “Selfishness, self-entitlement, and greed are the cause of the endless confusion in the NRM party because everybody is claiming supremacy,” he said.
Fragmented Opposition Politics
Counsel Wadada also weighed in on the increasing fragmentation of Uganda’s opposition, pointing to the fallout within the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and the subsequent emergence of new platforms like the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) and the Democratic Front (DF).
He argued that the FDC is no longer a “formidable force” and blamed unresolved internal disputes for its decline.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Front, led by former Leader of Opposition and Masaka MP Mathias Mpuuga, was officially cleared by the Electoral Commission this week. In a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Mpuuga described the new party as a platform for “logical thinkers, progressive minds, and those who believe in political ethics and disciplined service delivery.”
If you would like your article/opinion to be published on Uganda’s most authoritative anews platform, send your submission on: [email protected]. You can also follow DailyExpress on WhatsApp for realtime updates.
