State House, Entebbe | August 23, 2025 Sharp divisions emerged within the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) on Friday as President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga clashed during a heated National Executive Council (NEC) meeting over the contest for First National Vice Chairperson (Female).
Kadaga, the incumbent, made a passionate appeal to party delegates, criticizing the leadership’s handling of the race and questioning the eligibility of her challenger, Speaker of Parliament Anita Among. In a defiant speech, Kadaga accused the party of sidelining long-serving members in favor of relatively newer entrants.
“I have been a member of this party since inception. I started as an LC1 chairperson in 1999. I have never joined any other party. My loyalty is unquestionable,” Kadaga told delegates, receiving enthusiastic applause.
“If the requirement is what you’ve done for NRM in the last ten years, then how does someone with only three years in the party qualify for this role?” Kadaga further warned that forcing her out could sow division within her political base in Busoga and the wider party structure.
“You may think you are fighting me, but you are fighting a bigger community. That’s not right for the politics of Uganda.” In an uncharacteristically blunt exchange, President Museveni pushed back, cautioning Kadaga against invoking regional identity as a political shield.
“Rebecca, you don’t own Busoga,” Museveni said, silencing the room. “You were not there when I was working with the previous kings, so you should sit down.” The President defended the Central Executive Committee (CEC) process, stressing that no candidate had been coerced into stepping down and that the CEC's role is advisory, not exclusionary.
“Unless there is a strong legal reason, CEC cannot disqualify any candidate,” Museveni stated, reinforcing the Attorney General’s interpretation of the party's constitution. Museveni disclosed that he had attempted to broker a “win-win” solution between Kadaga and Among, offering to nominate one to the CEC if the other stepped down voluntarily. “But since no one is willing to be guided, we leave it to the delegates to decide,” he concluded.
Kadaga Questions Speaker Among’s Bid
Kadaga also raised concerns about the legitimacy of Among’s candidacy, noting that as Speaker of Parliament, she already sits on the CEC in an ex-officio capacity. “If she’s already here as an ex-officio member, why is she contesting again? Can one person hold two seats?
This sets a bad precedent for fairness in our party,” Kadaga said. She warned that prioritizing newcomers over long-serving cadres risks undermining party unity ahead of the critical 2026 general elections. “If we allow someone to come today and immediately become head of the party, what message are we sending? Are loyalty and commitment no longer valued in the NRM?” she asked.
Election Showdown Looms
With both sides standing firm, Museveni concluded the emotionally charged session by announcing that the final decision would be left to the upcoming National Delegates’ Conference.
“We go to elections at the delegates’ conference and settle this,” he said. The decision sets the stage for a high-stakes contest between Kadaga and Among, reflecting deeper undercurrents within the ruling party as it navigates succession politics, internal loyalty, and the run-up to the 2026 elections. As delegates prepare to cast their votes next week, the race for First National Vice Chairperson (Female) now symbolizes more than just a position it has become a litmus test for how the NRM balances experience, loyalty, and generational change.
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