A tense standoff unfolded during Monday’s National Resistance Movement (NRM) National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, as President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga engaged in a fiery exchange over Kadaga’s bid to retain her position as NRM second National Vice Chairperson (Female).
Kadaga, who currently holds the post, mounted a strong defense of her candidacy, accusing party leaders of favoring Speaker of Parliament Anita Among a relatively new entrant in party ranks over long-serving and loyal members like herself.
“I have been part of this party since its beginning,From starting out as an LC1 chairperson in 1999, I have never left the NRM. My loyalty is unquestionable.”Kadaga told the NEC delegates
Kadaga emphasized that the party’s own nomination guidelines require candidates to have served at least ten years in the NRM, a threshold she claimed Among had not met.
“The candidate being pushed has only been with us for three years. Where she worked before is not the issue but within the NRM, it’s just three years. We cannot manipulate the rules,” Kadaga said.
She also referenced her years of public service mobilizing support during national elections, facilitating Parliament’s budget approvals, and representing Uganda abroad as evidence of her longstanding commitment. She warned that attempts to sideline her could have wider political consequences.
“I was publicly humiliated when I was removed as Speaker, and I took it with dignity. But how far can one be pushed? This is not just about me—you’re alienating an entire community. That’s a dangerous path for the politics of this country,” she warned.
President Museveni, however, interrupted her with a sharp rebuttal.
“Rebecca, you don’t own Busoga. You were not there when I worked with the former kings. So please, sit down,” Museveni said, prompting murmurs across the hall.
Defending the party’s internal selection process, Museveni insisted no one had been forced to step aside, and all withdrawals had been voluntary. He revealed he had proposed a compromise between Kadaga and Among, but both refused to yield.
“My method is always win-win. I suggested one of you step down, and I’d ensure the other remains in CEC. But since neither of you accepted guidance, let the delegates decide,” he said.
Kadaga further questioned the rationale behind Speaker Among’s candidacy, pointing out that she already sits on the CEC as an ex-officio member.
“If she’s already part of CEC, why is she contesting for another seat? One person holding two positions undermines the principles of fairness in our party,” she argued.
With the debate growing increasingly fractious, Museveni concluded the discussion by deferring the final decision to the upcoming National Delegates’ Conference—setting the stage for a major showdown between Kadaga and Among.
The unfolding contest has exposed simmering tensions within the NRM, highlighting divisions over loyalty, internal democracy, and regional influence—tensions that could reshape the party’s power dynamics ahead of the 2026 general elections.
