Published on 24/08/2025
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has warned against election malpractice, corruption, and the use of money in politics, describing them as dangerous vices that threaten the country’s future and undermine accountability.
Addressing the National Resistance Movement (NRM) National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting at State House, Entebbe, on Saturday, August 23, 2025, Museveni stated that rather than bribing voters during elections, leaders should work for the people and earn their support.
“Money is poison. When leaders are elected through bribery or cheating, they become unaccountable to the people. That is what caused wars in the past, and we cannot allow it to happen again,” he cautioned. Museveni added that both the party and government would not hesitate to prosecute perpetrators of electoral malpractice, stressing that leadership must come through persuasion and example, not coercion or bribery.
NEC, the second-highest organ of the NRM party, endorsed the recommendation of the Central Executive Committee to have President Museveni as the unopposed NRM National Chairman for another five years, as well as the Presidential Flag Bearer for the 2026 General Elections.
The President commended the steady growth of the NRM, pointing to its membership of over 18 million Ugandans and the increasing participation of young leaders. “I am very happy to see many young people now taking up leadership roles in the NRM. Like a warthog protected by its young ones, I can see the NRM being defended by these young leaders,” he said.
He emphasised the importance of stability, recalling Uganda’s turbulent history before the NRM came to power. Museveni attributed four decades of peace to the Movement’s guiding principles of patriotism, Pan-Africanism, democracy, and socio-economic transformation. He also highlighted the establishment of strong national institutions such as the army and police as key foundations for lasting stability.
On the economy, Museveni outlined Uganda’s transformation through five phases—recovery, expansion, diversification, value addition, and the knowledge economy—remarking that the economy has grown 17 times since 1986. He called for a “qualitative leap” to ensure more households join the money economy and Uganda achieves full modernisation.
Alongside the President’s address, the NEC adopted the report of the Secretary General as a guiding document for the party’s strategic direction and organisational work. The council also evaluated and recommended candidates for key positions in the Movement’s top organs ahead of the 2026 elections.
In its resolutions, NEC unanimously endorsed President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni as both the NRM Presidential Flag Bearer and the National Chairman. Al-Hajj Moses Kigongo was reaffirmed as the First National Vice Chairman, while the names of Rt Hon. Rebecca Kadaga and Rt Hon. Anita Annet Among were forwarded to the National Delegates Conference for consideration as Second National Vice Chairperson (Female).
For regional positions, NEC recommended Hon. Dan Fred Kidega, Hon. Denis Hamson Obua and Hon. Sam Engola for the delegates to elect the National Vice Chairperson for the Northern Region, while Hon. Lokii John Baptist, Hon. Achilla John Roberts-Rex, Hon. Johnson Ngorok, Hon. Lokii Peter Abrams, and Hon. Ochero Jimmy Bricky Nwoma were forwarded to the delegates to choose the party vice chairperson for the Karamoja Region. All names will now be presented to the forthcoming National Delegates Conference for final consideration and election.
Meanwhile, the party’s Council received reports of voter bribery, with delegates reporting that delegates for the Entrepreneurs League had been flown out of the country by one candidate. The party chairman dismissed the notion that this was an acceptable practice in politics and ordered an investigation. “This is exactly what I have been talking about. This is a dangerous precedent that we cannot allow to continue. It is incidents like these that caused trouble in the UPC, Museveni stated. Adding that the UPC government refused to listen when voters complained of election malpractice, and it was because of this that he and his comrades launched the bush war.
Reading the NEC resolutions, the party Secretary General Richard Todwong emphasised that the resolutions reflect the Movement’s commitment to unity, continuity, and transformation, as it positions Uganda for a prosperous and integrated future. Before adjourning the meeting, President Museveni informed the council that he would deliver a more comprehensive address at the National Delegates Conference, focusing on stability, economic transformation, and safeguarding the achievements of the last four decades while preparing for the next phase of national development.
