Kampala, Uganda: President Museveni is reportedly poised to shake up the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Secretariat, with his Chief Muzzukulu Hajjat Uzeyi Namyalo of ONC tipped for a major government or party deployment following her widely credited role in the ‘Tova Ku Main’ mobilisation drive that boosted NRM’s performance in Buganda and Kampala.
Reliable information obtained by this website indicates that at Plot 10 on Kyadondo Road, panic has reportedly gripped senior officials at the NRM Secretariat after learning that the party chairman, who also doubles as President, is preparing sweeping changes that will see some leaders dropped while others are redeployed to government positions.
Highly placed party sources say the NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong is earmarked for deployment to the Office of the Prime Minister, likely as a Deputy Prime Minister, a move aimed at aligning government execution more closely with the NRM manifesto sold to voters.
Sources further indicate that Museveni, still struggling to fully dominate Buganda due to its historical and political dynamics, is considering replacing Todwong at the secretariat with his deputy Rose Namayanja Nsereko, who is credited with overseeing grassroots mobilisation that delivered key victories in Kampala.
Under Namayanja’s supervision, the NRM was able to secure three high-profile parliamentary wins in the capital, including victories by Minsa Kabanda over NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya, Madinah Nsereko over Fred Nyanzi Ssentamu in Kawempe South, and former Attorney General Fred Ruhindi over NUP’s incarcerated deputy spokesperson Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro in Nakawa East.
This has been followed by District Chairperson victories in Mukono, Wakiso, and Nakasongola, as well as Greater Mubende, where NRM got a clean sweep in the Jan 22 District local council five elections.
Party insiders also say Museveni is likely to drop Ambassador Barbara Nekesa Oundo as NRM National Treasurer, with her deputy Jacqueline Kyatuheire lined up as replacement. Oundo is reportedly being considered for redeployment to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, following controversy surrounding billions of shillings stolen from her home, an incident that placed the party in a bad light, despite her insistence that the money was private family business capital.
Other officials facing the axe include Emmanuel Lumala Dombo, the party’s Director for Information and Publicity, who may be replaced by veteran journalist Rogers Mulindwa, currently serving as the secretariat spokesperson.
Sources further suggest that long-serving NRM Electoral Commission chairperson Tanga Odoi could finally be dropped as Museveni considers a complete overhaul of the party’s electoral body. Counsel Enock Barata has been widely mentioned as a key figure in the restructuring, a move that could also affect James Kinobe.
Meanwhile, ex- State Minister Rosemary Sseninde, who is currently the party’s Director for Mobilisation and Cadre Identification, is said to be facing redeployment back to the Ministry of Education to work under First Lady Janet Kataaha Museveni, and sources say Museveni is weighing whether her replacement at the secretariat should be Hajjat Namyalo or Moses Byaruhanga, both credited for energising NRM support in Kampala and Buganda.
President Museveni recently warned that he would be tough on non-performers while receiving his certificate as winner of the 2026 presidential elections, a statement party insiders say signals the end of tolerance for underperformance amid mounting local and international pressure.
NRM sources also claim the President was briefed about abuse of office at the secretariat, including the alleged recruitment of incompetent relatives and friends by some officials, which was cited as a key factor behind underperformance and has reportedly informed the looming purge.
By press time, neither the NRM Secretariat nor the Presidency had publicly commented on the reported developments.
Disclaimer: This story is solely based on information from multiple sources within the National Resistance Movement (NRM) circles and reflects internal discussions and expectations circulating at the time of publication.
