A number of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) heavyweights including cabinet minister have threated to contest as independent Members of Parliament citing a violent and irregular Member of Parliament primary exercise held last week.
Among the bigwigs and ministers whose area exercise is under contestation and have issued threats include; State Minister for Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives, David Bahati in Ndorwa West, Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness, and Refugees, Musa Echweru in Amuria County, Joyce Kaducu, State Minister for Primary Education (Moyo District Woman MP), Peace Mutuuzo, State Minister for Gender, Labour, and Social Development, (Bunyangabu District Woman MP), Victoria Rusoke Businge State Minister for Local Government, (Kabarole District Woman MP), Rose Lilly Akello, State Minister for Ethics and Integrity, (Karenga District Woman MP), Jennifer Namuyangu, State Minister for Bunyoro Affairs, (Kibuku District Woman MP), Fred Bwino Kyakulaga, State Minister for Agriculture, (Kiguku North), Fredrick Ngobi Gume State Minister for Cooperatives, (Bulamogi North West), Peter Lokeris Minister for Minerals, (Chekwii East).
Other incumbents like Theodore Sekikubo, who lost to Gen. Rwashande in Lwemiyaga, Sembabule District, Esther Mbayo(Woman MP, Luuka District), Persis Namuganza lost in Bukono, Jane Bainomugisha (Ibanda Woman MP), Kyooma Xavier(Ibanda North), Hudu Hussein(Mbale Northern City Division), Fred Kalema Pax (Bukoto East), Kansiime Caroline (Rukiga Woman MP), Tinkasiimire Barnabas ( Buyaga West Constituency), Donald Katalihwa (Mwenge south Constituency) and many others.
Last week Thursday, NRM held primary elections which were marred with, fighting, arrests, shootings, intimidation and voter bribery across the country leading to dismissal, petition and challenge of results in several constituencies.
The hunger and thirst for power within the ruling party has been highlighted as one of the interns fights where contestants want to secure and or retain their respective constituencies at all cost.
In Sembabule specifically,UPDF military officers were directly seen involved in the exercise and at some point, brutalizing the supporters of Sekikubo.
In Rubanda county, a security detail of Henry Musasizi was spotted firing live bullets in the air to scare away the people that were opposing the minister.
With the conclusion of the primaries, attention now turns to the 2026 general elections. Winners are confident, they will win with an endorsement from their party, and losers are vowing to come as independents citing dissatisfaction in their party internal elections, which they say were marred by irregularities. Political analysts, however, warn that the NRM primaries gave a glimpse of the violence and irregularities that will unfold in the 2026 general elections and warned the citizens to be cautious.
By: Moses Tumuhairwe