Kampala, Uganda: Collins Tanga, the son of NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson Dr. Tanga Odoi, Thursday reclaimed the coveted NRM Youth League National Chairperson seat in a landslide victory, a win largely credited to the endorsement and grassroots mobilization machinery of the Office of the National Chairman (ONC) under SPA/PA Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo.
Tanga’s decisive win came at a time when internal party youth politics had been highly competitive, with several camps vying to control the influential league ahead of the 2026 general elections, but his campaign received a “game-changing push” when ONC Manager Hajjat Namyalo openly threw her weight behind him during his courtesy at Kyambogo in July this year.
Namyalo’s Endorsement and ONC Groundwork
As Senior Presidential Advisor and National Coordinator – Bazzukulu at ONC, Namyalo has built an extensive youth and women mobilization network through her Jajja Tova Ku Main campaign and wealth creation drives.
Her backing of Tanga not only gave him credibility among young cadres but also guaranteed grassroots foot soldiers to secure votes across regions. “Once Hajjat Namyalo endorsed Collins, the youth knew he was the right candidate to carry forward the Chairman’s (President Museveni’s) message of unity, service and patriotism,” one ONC coordinator who was vivid during Tanga’s nationwide campaign trail told DailyExpress shortly after elections.
Through the ONC’s network of “Muzzukulu Coordinators,” youth delegates from rural to urban centers rallied behind Tanga, branding him as a continuity candidate capable of strengthening the NRM Youth League’s role in mobilization for 2026.
A Boost for ONC
Tanga’s win adds to a string of victories by ONC-backed candidates in the Youth League elections, further cementing Namyalo’s influence as a kingmaker in the NRM political game, a boost that strengthens her bargaining power within the party hierarchy, whilst positioning ONC as the central hub of grassroots mobilization.
“Tanga’s win is not just a personal triumph; it is a strategic victory for Hajjat Namyalo and the entire ONC network. It demonstrates how grassroots mobilization can determine outcomes in internal party polls,” says Mr Kintu Moses, the spokesperson of ONC.
With the Youth League chairmanship and three vice chairperson slots now secured by an ONC-backed candidate, the office is expected to play an even greater role in rallying young people behind President Museveni’s re-election bid.
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