KAMPALA, UGANDA — A generational shift is reshaping the leadership of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) as young party cadres successfully challenged and defeated long-time members for influential positions on the Central Executive Committee (CEC). The outcome has placed new, younger faces at the top of the party’s power structure, signaling a potential change in direction.
The most prominent example of this power shift occurred in the veterans’ league, where Lt. (retired) Moses Mushabe defeated incumbent Security Minister Maj. Gen. (retired) Jim Muhwezi. Mushabe’s victory, with 1,047 votes to Muhwezi’s 570, underscored a desire for new leadership from a delegate base that felt neglected. Mushabe had criticized the previous leadership for failing to address the poverty faced by many who “sacrificed their lives to liberate the nation.”
Delegates said Mushabe, a true veteran, resonated with their aspirations. “Many of our fellow veterans are wallowing in poverty, living like paupers,” one delegate said. “We expect Mushabe to change this because he knows all this.”
The polls, while ushering in new leaders, also highlighted logistical and electoral challenges. Joseph Nuwagaba, the NRM registrar for Kazo district, said the sheer number of delegates overwhelmed the process, making vote counting a lengthy task. “The numbers were too big and they overwhelmed us,” he said. Nuwagaba suggested decentralizing voting to respective regions in the future to manage the crowds.
Jacquiline Amongin, who won the general secretary position for the women’s league, also noted the “overwhelming number of delegates” as a key challenge. She explained that the decision to include all councilors and members of parliament, rather than a limited number of delegates, strained the available facilities, particularly for women who came with children.
The youth elections were delayed, causing frustration among delegates. Calvin Moses Emwodu, a delegate from Soroti city, said the holdup disrupted travel plans and left delegates in a financial bind. “The money the party gave us for accommodation was strictly for two days. Now, who is going to pay for the accommodation if we sleep here?” he asked.
Political analysts weighed in on the implications of the shift. Sabiti Makara, a political science professor at Makerere University, described the transition as a “natural generational shift” for a party that has been in power for 40 years. He said the change was beneficial and had the support of President Yoweri Museveni.
However, veteran journalist John Kakande said the elections highlighted a broader problem with electoral colleges, pointing to accusations of bribery and cheating. “If they can attempt to rig in that kind of party election, what will happen in the general election next year?” he said, calling it a “cause for worry.”
Dr. Suzie Nansozi Muwanga, executive director of the Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre, urged a focus on the new leaders’ potential, while historian Prof. Mwambutsya Ndebesa described the entire process as a violation of democratic principles.
