KAMPALA, UGANDA — The NRM’s top brass was plunged into chaos this week as a high-stakes standoff erupted between two of the party’s most powerful women, sources reveal. The fierce confrontation between former Speaker Rebecca Kadaga and current Speaker Anita Among over a key leadership position has sent shockwaves through the party’s elite.
According to insiders, the heated debate over the NRM’s second vice-chairperson position turned into a “real battle,” with CEC members unable to choose between the two heavyweights. In a last-ditch effort to broker peace, senior officials proposed a deal: one of them would step down in exchange for a powerful “eminent party cadre” slot.
But in a stunning act of defiance, both Kadaga and Among outright rejected the offer.
A source close to the proceedings said Kadaga, the incumbent, immediately rebuffed the proposal, insisting she had earned her place through years of dedicated service. Among, in a bold counter-move, rejected the deal by arguing that the position is rightfully held by the sitting Speaker of Parliament.
“They refused the offer,” a CEC source confirmed, highlighting the deep-seated rivalry between the two women. “Even when the President explained that whoever opts out will still be a member of CEC, they said no.”
The explosive debate has now forced the CEC to punt the decision to the National Executive Council (NEC), which will meet this Saturday. If the NEC also fails to resolve the matter, it will be handed off to the delegates’ conference, where members will be forced to vote, potentially exposing a deep fissure within the party.
This drama overshadowed what was otherwise a smooth meeting. President Yoweri Museveni was overwhelmingly approved as the party’s presidential flag bearer and chairman for 2026. Museveni opened the session with a stern warning against corruption and criminality, which sources say set the stage for the tense vetting sessions that followed.
The only other position to be settled without a vote was the first vice-chairperson slot, which saw Moses Kigongo sail through after his competitors voluntarily stepped aside—a stark contrast to the defiant stance taken by Kadaga and Among.
Additional reporting by New Vision and Daily Monitor.
