Kampala, Uganda: The Office of the National Chairman (ONC) is in high spirits after its youthful coordinators, Ssemuddu Ivan, Kiyimba Rakib, and Kato Bathiace swept to victory three NRM Youth League Vice Chairperson slots in Thursday’s decentralized elections, cementing ONC’s grassroots influence under Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo’s stewardship.
Ssemuddu, the ONC coordinator for Buvuma District, won the Central Region Vice Chairperson race with a commanding 1,701 out of 2,515 valid votes (67.6%), beating his nearest rival, Kintu Hakim, who managed 644 votes (25.6%). Other candidates Mukuye Ronald and Mutasingwa Ivan Alvin trailed with 106 (4.3%) and 64 (2.5%) respectively.
In the Eastern Region, Mayuge ONC coordinator Kiyimba Rakib clinched victory with 1,281 votes (47.4%) out of 2,701. He was followed by Ome Samuel Omaria with 829 votes (30.7%), while other contenders, Eotu Samuel Mathew (255), Yeko Edwin Siya (209), Bulombi Sam (101), and Dubye Jaliati (26), fell behind.
Meanwhile, Tooro Sub-Region’s Muzzukulu coordinator, Katto Bathiace, delivered another win for ONC by taking the Western Region Vice Chairperson slot with 1,387 votes (50.5%). He narrowly edged out Tuyizere John Bosco, who polled 1,093 votes (39.8%), in what was largely a two-horse race. Other candidates; Ainomugisha Bruce (138), Mushabe Isaac (85), and Ainembabazi Johnson (45), secured marginal tallies.
Other remarkable wins for the Chief Muzzukulu included the elected Chairperson of NRM Youth League, Tanga Collins, the son of NRM Electoral Commission Boss Dr Tanga Odoi, whom she endorsed for the position, and Sam Begira, the winner for Central Youth MP flag.
What the Victory Means for ONC and Namyalo
The triple win is being interpreted as a major boost for the Office of the National Chairman and its head, Senior Presidential Advisor Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo, who has been at the forefront of galvanizing youth support for President Yoweri Museveni.
Analysts say the victories reaffirm the strength of ONC’s grassroots structures, which have consistently delivered during mobilization drives such as the “Jajja Tova Ku Main” campaign and wealth creation initiatives targeting youth and women.
With Ssemuddu, Kiyimba, and Bathiace now occupying influential positions in the NRM Youth League, ONC gains a stronger foothold in shaping youth politics ahead of the 2026 elections.
“This is more than just an election win, it is a statement that ONC’s mobilization machinery is firmly rooted among young people and will play a decisive role in rallying the youth vote for President Museveni,” a senior ONC insider told DailyExpress.
For Namyalo, the development strengthens her bargaining power within the NRM, as her grassroots coordinators now hold institutional roles that directly link the party’s youth structures to State House mobilization efforts.
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