Museveni rallies NRM members on verification, village elections

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National Resistance Movement (NRM) chairman President Yoweri Museveni has urged the ruling party's members to take part in Tuesday's (May 6) internal village structure elections.

Party members will also elect NRM LC1 flagbearers for LC1 chairmanship.

The expression of interest and nominations for NRM village structural elections ended on April 30.

The party says it has 72,000 polling stations across the country.

Tuesday will also serve as baraza day at the respective village centres, meant to verify the members of the NRM who have been registered.

"The two activities should strictly take place between 10am and 2pm," said Museveni in a statement released by the President's press team.

He said he and First Lady Janet Museveni will be in Rwakitura and Ntungamo Ireenga, respectively, to take part in the verification of their membership.

"I will, however, not line up behind any candidate for election because as chairman of the NRM, I welcome any choice of our members. I cannot and should not, therefore, take sides," he said.

The scheduled activities have resulted in Monday's Cabinet meeting being called off "to ensure that the leaders participate".

Museveni said he has also agreed with the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, that there will be no parliamentary sitting on Tuesday for the same purpose.

In his statement, he also in part reflected on the Labour Day celebrations that took place in Nakapiripirit on Thursday, highlighting some of the positives.

He also mentioned regional security matters, particularly Uganda's interventions in the conflicts in South Sudan and DR Congo.

Below is the President's statement in full:
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Fellow Ugandans, especially the Bazzukulu.

Greetings. Congratulations to all Ugandans on the successful celebrations of Labour Day in Nakapiripirit.

I felt very sorry for the Nshoninkyes (the Kaggw’ensonyis, Latek wic, Ngin emametori ileic, Drinza kokoru — the ones with little or no shame to do or say wrong things) that minimise or dismiss the achievements of the NRM.

To go to the distant Nakapiripirit, Moroto etc and you see the brand-new tarmac roads, the electricity power lines, the ubiquitous telephone masts, the peace and the factories that are coming up, is very pleasing for the serious patriots.

You, then, remember that Uganda is now connected by tarmac roads from South Sudan border (in Kitgum, Nimule and Oraba) in the Acholi and West Nile regions to the borders of Tanzania, (Mutukula), Rwanda (Mirama hills, Katuna and Cyanika) and the Congo border (Bunagana) and from the Kenya border (Lwakhakha, Malaba, Busia) to the Congo border (Mpondwe, Busuunga, Kaisotonya) in the Kasese, Bundibugyo and Hoima districts.

Owing to bad planning in UNRA [Uganda National Roads Authority] and the Ministry of Works [& Transport], some of that network were allowed to deteriorate without immediate repairs and reconstruction.

That is how the section from Mityana to Fort Portal is in a bad shape and so is the section from Mukono to Jinja. That mistake is being corrected.

Nevertheless, there are alternative routes to those destinations, albeit with longer distances. I really felt very sorry for the Nshoninkyes, seeing the Kampala elite zooming at high speed on the brand new Karamoja roads.

Further good news. The South Sudan Army of our brother People of South Sudan supported by the UPDF Expeditionary Force, has completely and quickly defeated the insurgents that had invaded that country, capturing a town known as Nassir and threatening other centres.

I congratulate the CDF and the entire UPDF on the resurrecting of the UPDF lethality in combat and fighting corruption.

In Congo, the UPDF has defeated the ADF with the support of the Congo Army and tamed the sectarian CODECO that was targeting some of the other communities in Ituri and collaborating with ADF.

This is all good news.

Finally, I am alerting and requesting all the NRM members to go to the village centres in their respective local areas by 10am on Tuesday, the 6th of May, 2025, to do two things:

▪️Take part in the baraza that will verify the members of the NRM that have been registered in the NRM registers;

▪️Take part in the elections of the NRM LCI flag-bearer for LCI chairmanship and also elect the village NRM structures. 

The two activities – register verification and electing LCI NRM flag-bearers and the NRM structures – should strictly take place between 10am and 2pm. The NRM Electoral Commission will give you the details.

I will personally be in the Rwakitura village, and Maama will be in Ntungamo Ireenga to take part in the verification of our respective NRM village registers.

I will, however, not line behind any candidate for election because as chairman of the NRM, I welcome any choice of our members. I cannot and should not, therefore, take sides.

Signed:

YOWERI K. MUSEVENI

SSAABALWANYI

PS: To ensure that the leaders participate, there will be no cabinet meeting on Monday, the 5th of May, 2025 and I have also agreed with the Rt. Hon. Speaker, that there will be no Parliamentary sitting on Tuesday, the 6th of May 2025.