By Aggrey Baba
Hon. Godfrey Kiwanda Ssuubi, the vice Chairman of the NRM for Buganda Region, has come out strongly against his own party’s directive that seeks to deter candidates who lose in NRM primaries from contesting as independents in national elections.
Kiwanda urged that the regulation is not only redundant but also has no legal backing, calling it ‘an opinion, not a law.’
Kiwanda, a former State Minister for Tourism, former MP for Mityana North, and a well-known NRM political mobilizer in Buganda, has been a prominent face in NRM’s grassroots politics for years.
He is widely respected for his ability to connect with ordinary citizens and for championing internal dialogue within the party. His words, therefore, carry significant weight, especially in a region as politically sensitive as Buganda.
“That rule has no place in the Constitution. You cannot just wake up, draft a party guideline, and think it automatically becomes enforceable law. Unless Parliament passes it, it cannot be imposed on any citizen,” he said.
According to Kiwanda, the move is a direct attack on internal democracy and individual rights within the ruling party, and he warned that forcing such rules on members could cause deeper divisions and demoralize party loyalists.
(You don’t pluck a ripe fruit before its season and expect it to flourish)he said, meaning what he sees as premature suppression of potential candidates. “Even a child knows you don’t burn your granary because of one bad harvest.”
Kiwanda’s remarks have sent ripples through NRM ranks, with many interpreting them as a voice for grassroots aspirants who fear being locked out unfairly.
He also emphasized that Uganda’s Constitution allows every eligible citizen to contest for office.
“You can’t tell someone not to stand for election simply because they lost in primaries. That’s not what democracy is about,” Kiwanda said, adding that some of these things, if not checked, will make the party look like it fears competition from within.”
He added that the only way such a regulation could be enforced would be through legislation passed by Parliament, something he said has not happened. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
