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By Aggrey Baba
Kamuli Woman MP and Second Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga took centre stage at President Museveni’s opening rally in Busoga sub-region on Saturday, November 15th, as she attempted to calm widespread anger among voters following her defeat in the August 28th, 2025 NRM CEC elections.
The rally, held at Bugiri District Headquarters, was Museveni’s first campaign appearance in the region as the NRM presidential flagbearer for the 2026 elections. But the political mood on the ground showed that the most urgent problem for the yellow party is not the opposition, but the internal resentment caused by the Kadaga–Among CEC battle.
Kadaga lost the NRM 2nd National Vice Chairperson (Female) seat to Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, a contest marked by open personal clashes. Before the vote, Kadaga publicly complained that Among was unfit for top party leadership, accusing her of corruption and lacking integrity. She even openly asked President Museveni, also party chairman to protect her from Among and ring-fence her CEC position.
Kadaga warned that if the party allowed Among to challenge her, Busoga would interpret it as a direct attack on the region.
Museveni rejected that argument, saying Busoga was “bigger than Kadaga.” When the election later took place and Among won, many Basoga felt betrayed, and the backlash has continued to grow.
Across the region, voters have turned their anger toward several NRM leaders who were believed to have sided with Among. In Bugiri, NRM Woman MP candidate Eunice Namatende and Bugiri Municipality candidate John Francis Okecho have been repeatedly confronted at community meetings. Voters accuse them of voting against Kadaga and have vowed not to support them in 2026.
The hostility has strengthened the chances of opposition candidates (JEEMA’s Asuman Basalirwa and NUP’s Rebecca Namumbya) who now enjoy an easier path due to the deep divisions in the NRM’s base.
Kadaga’s role at the Bugiri rally was therefore critical. She told the crowd to put aside their anger and mobilise strongly for NRM and President Museveni, urging the region to aim for at least 90% of the vote. Her appeal came as crowds chanted her name, with others calling her “Mama Busoga,” showing her continuing influence despite the recent CEC loss.
NRM National Vice Chairperson Hajji Moses Kigongo also asked members to put aside internal disputes and focus on the 2026 campaign, acknowledging that the party is facing serious internal contradictions.
President Museveni, in his speech, highlighted the NRM’s achievements and its future plans for Busoga. He explained that NRM’s biggest contribution over the past 40 years has been peace and national unity, saying the party built institutions (including the army and police) without discrimination.
On development, Museveni said Busoga has benefited from major road works such as Kampala-Jinja, Jinja–Kamuli, Nakalama–Mbale, Musita–Namayingo, and Iganga–Kaliro. He listed roads still under plan, including Jinja–Mbulamuti, Iganga–Kamuli via Luuka, and Bugiri–Namayingo.
He added that out of Bugiri’s 20 Sub Counties, electricity has reached most subcounty headquarters, with only seven subcounties still lacking power. He said government also plans to pump water from Lake Victoria to expand access to clean piped water across Bugiri district.
On education, Museveni said Bugiri District has 140 government primary schools but their distribution is uneven. Only 58 parishes have government schools, leaving several parishes without any. He instructed the RDC, LC5 chairperson and DEO to reorganize distribution so that each parish has at least one primary school. For secondary schools, he noted that the district has nine or ten government secondary schools, yet policy requires each subcounty to have one.
On health, Museveni said upgrading of facilities is ongoing and government will raise Bugiyoozi Health Centre II to Health Centre III, with the process to elevate Bugiri main hospital to a referal hospital also in progress.
He explained that development and wealth are different. He said some places such as Kampala have good roads and electricity but still have high poverty because residents are not involved in wealth creation programmes. He asked Busoga to embrace both development and wealth-creation projects.
But despite the development message, the rally’s political weight remained with Kadaga. Her speech was the main attempt to deescalate anger that has been growing for months. The current mood in Busoga suggests that NRM’s 2026 performance may depend heavily on whether Kadaga (and not anyone else) can successively persuade voters to forgive what they see as betrayal.
Museveni and the NRM enter Busoga with a divided base and a difficult political terrain, and Kadaga is now the bridge between the party and an angry electorate. Whether her well facilitated endevour will deliver the desired outcomes, only time will tell. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
