By Aggrey Baba
Party conferences are supposed to show unity and strength, but as the NRM prepares for its delegates’ conference at Kololo, disagreements are instead surfacing as missing delegates, questions about the age of youth candidates, and the absence of senior leaders raise doubts about the party’s order, bringing to life an African proverb that a leaking roof cannot protect you when the rain comes.
Some CEC aspirants like Philip Kakuru, King Augustus Ceasor Mulenga, Mukesh Shukla, Sanjay Tanna and Kalim Kalamagi, complained that their competitors had taken more than 200 delegates to Kenya and Tanzania to block them from voting, and they have since written to the party chairman, President YK Museveni, demanding a fair register and warning that if such tricks continue, the party may end up cheating itself.
Mulenga said during his campaign in northern Uganda, he found entire groups of delegates missing, and he blamed this on deliberate obstruction.
The youth elections are also under fire, as some candidates are accused of changing their birth dates to qualify as under 30. In the national female youth MP race, questions have been raised about Fiona Nakku, who is said to be 31 years old, an act critics say this is killing the credibility of the youth council, as they compare it to planting seeds in dry soil, where the field may look busy, but nothing will grow.
Another sign of division appeared when big names like Speaker Anita Among, Rebecca Kadaga, Capt. Mike Mukula, Godfrey Kiwanda, Lydia Wanyoto and Dr. Chris Baryomunsi skipped a preparatory meeting organized by the secretariat, meant to set campaign rules, with their absence raising eyebrows. Veteran leader Al-Hajji Moses Kigongo reminded candidates to remain disciplined, warning that anyone who puts themselves above the party is weakening its foundation.
In Buyende, the party tribunal cancelled the election of Sarah Namulondo as Woman MP flag-bearer after her rival Robina Achom Kaima presented evidence of missing declaration forms and other irregularities, and as a result, a fresh election was ordered within 21 days, adding more weight to claims that NRM is struggling with its own primaries.
Over 300 candidates are fighting for CEC positions, but instead of showing strength, the run-up to Kololo is exposing cracks inside the party. Unless the problems are solved, the conference may deepen divisions rather than heal them, re-awakening the old adage that when brothers fight inside the house, strangers outside clap their hands. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
