Bugweri, Uganda: A fresh political storm is brewing in Busoga after First Deputy Prime Minister and Kamuli Woman MP Rt Hon Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga took a swipe at Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among, accusing her of defying the ruling NRM party by campaigning for independent MP Abdul Katuntu against the official flag bearer Hajj Sadala Wandera in the Bugweri County parliamentary race.
Kadaga made the remarks on Sunday, October 19, at the launch of the Bugweri NRM Youth Brigade, officiated by Presidential Assistant and NRM Deputy Spokesperson Hajj Faruk Kirunda, at Busesa, home to Bugweri District Headquarters.
The former Speaker criticized Hon Among, who also serves as the NRM Second National Vice Chairperson (Female), for undermining party unity and frustrating the mobilization of NRM structures ahead of the 2026 general elections.
“It’s unfortunate that some senior leaders in our party choose to support independents instead of our flag bearers. Such actions weaken our structures and confuse our supporters,” Kadaga said, commending Bugweri delegates who “stood firm with the party despite sabotage and intimidation.”
Her remarks came just a day after Among’s visit to Bugweri, where she appeared at a rally introducing Hon. Katuntu to the electorate, despite the NRM officially fronting Hajj Sadala Wandera as its flag bearer.
Meanwhile, Hajj Faruk Kirunda, who launched the Bugweri NRM Youth Brigade at the same event, donated Shs10 million to support their activities and urged members to uphold the party’s four ideological principles; Patriotism, Pan-Africanism, Socio-Economic Transformation, and Democracy, as they mobilize for President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
“The youth must stay united and understand our party’s message. Government has already sent over Shs11 billion under the PDM initiative in this area, and there are plans for more support,” Kirunda said, directing the RDC to publish the list of PDM beneficiaries for transparency.
The weekend clash between the ‘two queens’ of NRM adds salt to an already simmering feud between the two Busoga NRM heavyweights, whose rivalry traces back to the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) elections and delegates’ conference, where Among’s emergence as a dominant party figure reportedly unsettled Kadaga’s influence in the sub-region.
Party insiders say the renewed public exchanges signal a deeper division within Busoga’s NRM political establishment, with loyalists on both sides trading barbs over who holds greater sway ahead of 2026.
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