An open letter to SG Richard Todwong of our mighty NRM party

Rt. Hon. Secretary General,
In Lusoga we say “ekibi kigwana ghala endala egwana buko” meaning that when one thing goes wrong, another may follow. What I witnessed on Tuesday at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds during the nomination of our Party Flag bearer and Chairman has left me deeply concerned.

I was in Soroti carrying out my work that sustains me, but I closely followed the proceedings on my phone. To my surprise, while many individuals and offices were recognized, one particular office was deliberately left out. To me, this was not a mistake but a calculated omission.

Allow me to take you back to my time at Kyambogo University (2021–2024) while pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences. Through our campus coordinator, Mr. Wycliffe, I was invited to join thousands of young people in launching “Jajja Tova Ku Main” and “Jajja Omalako” at the Office of the National Chairman.

Since then, we worked tirelessly under the Chief Muzukulu to popularize this initiative. It became a unifying slogan across the country, embraced even by the President himself.

However, on that day at Kololo, I was shocked to see this very initiative ignored. I even noticed you, Rt. Hon., stammering with words at that moment, which made me believe this was not accidental.

Let us not forget: before Hajati Hadijah Namyalo came in as Manager of the Office of the National Chairman, that office was largely silent. But with her leadership, the office has been vibrant—mobilizing youth, spearheading empowerment programs, and restoring hope for many underprivileged Ugandans. With limited resources, she has touched lives, enabling young people to start businesses and sustain themselves, all in the name of supporting Jajja.

It is therefore painful to see her and her office disregarded, while others—especially groups like PLU—are openly recognized. To many of us, those groups are more focused on survival than on the true struggle for our party. The truth is, Hajati’s efforts have done more to consolidate support for Jajja and the NRM than many who were recognized on that stage.

Rt. Hon. Secretary General, I respectfully ask that you reflect on this. The future of our mighty party depends on fairness, inclusivity, and recognition of those who genuinely sacrifice for the cause. Let us not allow internal divisions or deliberate sidelining to slowly eat us from within.

Yours sincerely,
Mwesigwa Jonathan
B.S. Social Sciences, Kyambogo University
Political Analyst – Busoga [email protected]