By Baluye Waiswa Michael
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) has over the years enjoyed significant support in the Busoga sub-region. However, emerging internal divisions and the creation of political camps have increasingly posed a challenge to unity and collective action within the party structures. The existence of rival camps has sometimes led to mistrust, disorganization, and reduced voter enthusiasm — thereby weakening the overall strength of the NRM in the region.
Effects of Political Camps in Busoga
Fragmentation of Party Structures: The formation of different political camps within the NRM has divided loyal supporters and created parallel lines of loyalty, weakening the party’s organizational unity at district and parish levels.
Reduced Mobilization Efficiency: Competing camps often duplicate efforts or undermine each other’s mobilization programs, leading to confusion among supporters and reduced voter turnout during elections.
Internal Rivalries and Suspicion: Political camps breed mistrust and competition for influence, diverting attention from the NRM’s development agenda toward personal or factional interests.
Loss of Focus on the Party Ideology: Instead of uniting under the NRM principles of patriotism, democracy, and socio-economic transformation, some leaders and supporters become more loyal to individuals or slogans than to the party cause.
Decline in Voter Confidence: Ordinary supporters, especially at the grassroots, may become disillusioned when they see divisions within the party, leading to voter apathy or even defection.
The “MULAMU” and “MAMA” Slogan Politics
The emergence of “MULAMU” and “MAMA” slogans in Busoga has intensified factional identity within the NRM. While these slogans began as mobilization tools, they have gradually evolved into political identifiers that separate leaders and supporters. Such a situation, if unchecked, risks overshadowing the NRM’s core message of unity, service delivery, and development for all Ugandans.
His Excellency Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, as the President of the Republic of Uganda and NRM Party Chairman, remains the ultimate unifying figure. His leadership and revolutionary guidance continue to inspire loyalty across generations.
For Busoga, rallying behind the President’s vision is essential in bridging divisions and reminding all party members that their strength lies in unity, discipline, and focus on national transformation rather than internal competition.
The Need for a Neutral and Unifying Camp (ONC Approach)
The Office of the National Chairman (ONC), under the leadership of Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye, the Chief Muzukulu, has become a neutral and inclusive platform for all NRM supporters. ONC’s grassroots mobilization strategy focuses on empowerment, wealth creation, and bridging gaps between party leaders and ordinary citizens — ensuring that no camp feels excluded.
By emphasizing the President’s legacy and agenda rather than factionalism, ONC serves as a practical model for restoring unity and discipline in Busoga and beyond.
The Way Forward for NRM in Busoga
Promote Unity of Purpose: All party leaders in Busoga should work under the guidance of the President and central party organs, avoiding personality-based politics.
Strengthen ONC-led Mobilization: Support ONC’s inclusive mobilization programs that emphasize empowerment, self-reliance, and loyalty to the NRM cause.
Discourage Camp-Based Politics: Introduce clear internal communication emphasizing one leadership structure and one message — Museveni as the unifying pillar of the Movement.
Grassroots Sensitization: Conduct continuous training and dialogues to remind supporters of the dangers of internal division and the importance of unity.
Reward Unity and Performance: Recognize and support leaders and structures that demonstrate cooperation, loyalty, and tangible mobilization results.
Political camps in Busoga have slowed NRM’s collective progress and threatened internal cohesion. The future of the party in the region depends on unity under the leadership of Gen. Y.K. Museveni. The ONC, through Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo’s inclusive and people-centered mobilization, provides a neutral and effective path to restore harmony, loyalty, and victory for the NRM in Busoga and across Uganda.
The writer is the Office of National Chairman (ONC) Coordinator in Buyende District
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