By Diana Kintu
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has praised members of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) for their participation in the party’s primaries held on July 17, 2025. He also strongly condemned cases of electoral misconduct reported during the voting process.
According to Museveni’s statement shared via his official X (formerly Twitter) account and NRM communication platforms, approximately 9.22 million members voted in the primaries—representing 50% of the total registered party membership of 18.5 million as of May 6, 2025. The President described the mid-week turnout as satisfactory, acknowledging the difficulty of mobilising voters during working days.
However, Museveni expressed concern over several electoral irregularities, which reportedly included: alteration of results; tampering with voter registers; incidents of violence resulting in deaths and injuries and bribery of voters.
He condemned these actions as unpatriotic and warned that individuals involved would be prosecuted, starting with those who falsified election outcomes.
The President emphasised that elections are meant to select leaders who address citizens’ practical challenges. He distinguished between “omukyeno” (solvable problems) and “obuhaangwa” (natural circumstances), urging leaders to focus on resolving issues that can be improved through good governance.
Museveni also cited key achievements of the NRM government as examples of effective leadership, including:
- Enhanced national security through the 10-point program
- Successful immunisation campaigns that eradicated diseases like polio and measles
- Economic reforms that ended shortages of basic goods
- The Parish Development Model (PDM) is aimed at boosting household incomes.
He concluded by calling for political discipline and maturity amongst NRM members, urging them to avoid violence and uphold the party’s democratic and developmental principles.