Kampala, Uganda: A section of youth within the ruling National Resistance Movement has insisted they have no personal grudges or issues with Speaker Anita Annet Among and her deputy Thomas Tayebwa, but want strict adherence to due process in their reported endorsement for the same positions in the 12th Parliament.
Operating under the NRM Revolutionary Network, the group says its concern is not about personalities but about safeguarding the party’s institutional procedures and integrity and leadership decisions within the NRM must be guided by established systems.
“As a network of committed young cadres, we believe it is important to reaffirm the Movement’s long-standing principle that systems and procedures must always guide leadership processes,” the revolutionary youths said during a press conference held Monday in Kampala.
The group was responding to reports that the endorsement of Among and Tayebwa had already been backed by the Central Executive Committee (CEC) and the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) under the directive of its Chairman, First Son Muhooi Kainerugaba.
“Such directives do not constitute a final or binding decision of the mighty National Resistance Movement (NRM) party,” the group clarified.
According to the NRM members, the endorsement appears to have bypassed the NRM Parliamentary Caucus Rules of Procedure (2014). According to these rules, the process should include formal expression of interest submitted to the NRM Electoral Commission, consideration by the Central Executive Committee, and final nomination and endorsement by the NRM Parliamentary Caucus
“It is therefore our considered view that any endorsement that appears to pre-empt the full implementation of these procedures raises legitimate concerns about procedural integrity,” Edgar Stuart Mugisha, a member of the network, noted, adding that adherence to these steps is critical in maintaining discipline within the party.
Julie Nakabugo, another member of the group, called on Ugandan youths to support the initiative aimed at safeguarding internal democracy within the NRM, urging them to participate in constructive party processes.
Endorsement timing questioned
The group also raised concern over the timing of the endorsement, noting that the 12th Parliament is not yet fully constituted. They pointed out that special interest group elections are still ongoing and Members of Parliament have not yet been sworn in, while the CEC itself is not fully constituted.
While maintaining that they have no personal objection to Among and Tayebwa, the group warned it may pursue legal action if due process is ignored. “We strongly reiterate that our engagement… is guided not by personal interest but by the responsibility… to safeguard the revolutionary gains and ensure that the Movement’s systems remain stronger than individual ambitions.”
Adding to the pressure, Ivan Mwijukye, another member, questioned the legal basis of the endorsements, arguing that the NRM Parliamentary Caucus is not yet in place. “We are questioning the legal impropriety on which these decisions have come to be passed… as we talk now, the NRM Parliamentary Caucus is absent,” Mwijukye said.
He noted that the caucus is supposed to comprise sworn-in NRM Members of Parliament, a process that has not yet happened. “This does not only raise a legal question but raises a political and moral question to the NRM,” he added.
Mwijukye revealed that the group has already written to party leadership seeking clarification on the process, but has not received a response. “We have served NRM officials asking them to respond on the procedure… but this has been taken as an oversight,” he said.
He further outlined several concerns they say invalidate the endorsement process; i.e. the special interest group MPs are yet to be gazetted, the NRM caucus rules of procedure were not followed, there was no formal expression of interest from candidates, and the 12th parliamentary caucus itself is not yet constituted.
“We cannot take Uganda and the internal democracy of NRM for granted when we still have our voices,” Mwijukye said.
He further questioned the involvement of external platforms like the Patriotic League of Uganda in the endorsement process, describing it as raising legal and procedural concerns.
According to Mwijukye, the group has already filed a petition in court challenging the process. “Therefore, we as the NRM still say that the endorsement… is null and void,” he asserted.
Last month, the NRM Director of Legal Affairs, Enock Barata, stated that the positions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker remain open for competition. The development signals growing internal debate within the ruling party, not over individuals, but over process, procedure, and institutional discipline ahead of the 12th Parliament.
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