Kampala, Uganda: Mukono-born politician, Hakim Kyeswa, has vowed to challenge entrenched interests and inject fresh energy into the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM)’s leadership following his full nomination as a candidate for the Central Executive Committee (CEC) Vice Chairperson (Central Region).
Speaking shortly after his nomination on Friday, July 04, at the NRM Electoral Commission headquarters in Kampala, Kyeswa struck a defiant tone, declaring that his candidacy marks the start of a revolution to overhaul the party’s internal culture and reconnect with the grassroots.
“What happened today is not just a nomination,” he told supporters and media at Kyadondo Road. “It is the beginning of revolutionizing our party.”
Kyeswa, a prominent youth mobilizer and ardent supporter of President Museveni, said the NRM had become complacent and risked losing more ground to the opposition if it failed to embrace accountability, transparency, and a new generation of leaders.
“They were given the party, but they failed. So now we are coming forward ourselves,” he declared.
The ONC Digital Media boss criticized the pervasive use of money in internal campaigns, arguing that such practices had weakened the party’s credibility: “People are dishing out billions in an election with no salary. Where is the money coming from? These are corrupt individuals who have hoarded public resources and now want to manipulate the system.”
He also cited past electoral setbacks as proof that the old style of leadership could no longer deliver results: “We keep electing people who chase posts but can’t mobilize. That’s why we lose ground. That’s why we’ve suffered.”
Kyeswa is positioning his campaign as a generational shift to reclaim support among the youth and urban voters, pledging to champion integrity and grassroots empowerment. “This is our time. Don’t let yourselves be manipulated. Don’t sell your future for quick gains. What we are building is unstoppable.”
The race for NRM Vice Chair Central is shaping into a hotly contested contest. Kyeswa faces formidable rivals, including incumbent Godfrey Kiwanda, who insists he has “unfinished business,” and PLU-affiliated Hon. Kyeyune Haruna Kasolo.
As chants of “our time is now” echoed outside the nomination venue, Kyeswa’s message signaled a brewing internal shift in the NRM’s Central Region leadership battle, and a test of whether the party is ready for generational renewal.
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