By President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Thursday closed the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Delegates Conference with a hard line against corruption and a plea for tighter service-delivery oversight, warning that graft at district level is eroding public trust and splintering the party.
“Don’t annoy our members with corruption and bad practices. When you do that, you divide us,” the President said, adding that several officials implicated in graft had already been arrested. He pressed local leaders to monitor police performance, road maintenance, drug supplies and the rollout of government programmes, including the Parish Development Model (PDM), to ensure citizens see tangible benefits.
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Museveni anchored his message in the party’s core principles, beginning with peace, which he said is guaranteed by the UPDF, but he challenged civil authorities to do more against everyday crime. He cautioned police commanders against cover-ups and complacency, saying officers who fail to perform would be replaced by “young Ugandans eager to work.”
On infrastructure, the President criticized districts that divert funds meant for routine works and urged MPs to track how local governments use road maintenance allocations. He reiterated the government’s commitment to free education in public schools, safe water in villages and reliable drug supplies in health centres—areas he said often trigger frustration that opponents exploit politically.
The President returned to a familiar theme of household wealth creation, urging leaders to guide beneficiaries to use PDM funds properly and repay them so the revolving scheme reaches more families. “Every home must have some wealth,” he said, framing commercial agriculture, services and ICT as pillars for lifting incomes. He also placed Uganda’s ambitions in a regional and continental context, pointing to access to larger markets and the push for an East African political federation as strategic objectives the party must advance.
The conference doubled as a stock-take of Uganda’s economic trajectory. Delegates noted what they called a 17-fold expansion of the economy since 1986 and praised progress in value addition and a transition toward a knowledge-driven economy. They linked those gains to the party’s emphasis on stability and industrialization, while warning that corruption and weak implementation threaten momentum.
In resolutions read by NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong, the conference reaffirmed Museveni as National Chairman and endorsed him as the party’s presidential flag bearer for the 2026 general election. Delegates also approved Al-Hajji Moses Kigongo as First National Vice Chairman and confirmed a slate of senior leaders chosen during the meeting, including Speaker Anita Annet Among as Second National Vice Chairperson.
Regional vice chairpersons were elected as follows: Calvin Echodu (Eastern), Haruna Kasolo (Central), Denis Hamson Obua (Northern), Asiimwe Jonard (Western), Lokii John-Baptist (Karamoja) and Uhuru Salim (Kampala). The party also filled heads of special organs, naming Col. Tom Butime to lead the Historical Leaders Forum, Komuhangi Adrine to chair the Women’s League, Tanga Coleman for the Youth League, Hon. Business Penina Kabingani for the Elders Forum, Shafik Mwanj for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and Mushabe Moses for the Veterans League.
Todwong framed the resolutions around peace, people-centred development and African integration. “Peace is the foundation of all that we are doing,” he told delegates, arguing that stability underpins job creation, market access and technology-driven growth. The conference pledged to intensify wealth-creation efforts, promote ICT for jobs, expand value addition and industrialization, and pursue closer regional cooperation as “a guarantee of strategic security.”
International solidarity featured prominently. Delegates acknowledged representatives from fraternal and revolutionary parties, including South Africa’s ANC, Rwanda’s RPF, South Sudan’s SPLM and Venezuela’s ruling party, while noting apologies from ZANU–PF (Zimbabwe), MPLA (Angola), Ethiopia’s Prosperity Party and Algeria’s National Liberation Front.
Turning to electoral conduct inside the party, Todwong condemned “criminality, bribery and all forms of electoral malpractice,” and said cases would be investigated urgently. He reminded delegates that once results are declared, disputes must be handled through the courts. In a notable amendment, the conference directed the party elections tribunal to probe allegations of malpractice that emerged during voting for the Youth League chairperson.
As the gathering adjourned, Museveni urged unity and discipline, insisting that fixing everyday issues from potholes and water shortages to drug stock-outs and high school fees—will strengthen the bond between leaders and citizens and protect the NRM’s political gains. He thanked delegates for their support and called for a renewed push to deliver services cleanly and efficiently ahead of the 2026 polls.
