Former National Resistance Movement (NRM) election aspirants have called for amendments to the party constitution to strengthen internal democracy, change how senior leaders are elected and provide financial support to candidates who lose party primaries.
The group wants key party positions, including secretary general and treasurer, to be filled through elections by party members rather than appointments by the party chairman.
The former aspirants also want the party to separate political and government responsibilities, arguing that ministers should not necessarily be Members of Parliament and that members of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) should not simultaneously serve as ministers.
Addressing journalists at the NRM Secretariat, Patrick Kayemba, a former Iganga District NRM chairman and current chairman of the group of NRM flag bearers who lost in previous elections, said many aspirants felt abandoned by the party after investing their time and money in campaigns.
Kayemba said some of the affected candidates had spent years mobilising voters for the ruling party but had received little recognition or support after losing their respective elections.
“It is now eight years since the elections, but we feel abandoned by our own party. We invested a lot of money and time looking for votes for the party, but now we are no longer being recognised,” Kayemba said.
He added that the group had tried unsuccessfully to secure a meeting with the party chairman to discuss its concerns.
“We have tried to have a meeting with the chairman, but we have failed. Not even the party has helped us,” he said.
Kayemba said the party should establish a fund to support flag bearers who lose elections so they can continue participating in party activities and sustain themselves after unsuccessful campaigns.
“We need a flag bearer fund so that we can survive even after someone has not gone through,” he said.
The group argues that such a fund would help unsuccessful candidates remain active in the party instead of being left to deal with the financial challenges that often follow election campaigns.
Jonah Byakutaaga, a former NRM flag bearer in Hoima City who serves as the group’s acting publicity secretary, said the party should also review its primary election rules to discourage candidates who lose the internal contests from standing as independents in the general elections.
Byakutaaga questioned what he described as inconsistent treatment of candidates who lose in the party primaries, saying some later contest as independents and still receive support from the party.
“This is something that beats our understanding. The very people who have failed to go through again end up getting support from the party,” Byakutaaga said.
He argued that the party should enforce its internal election rules consistently to protect the credibility of its primaries and encourage members to respect the outcomes.
The group also called for greater decentralisation of party activities, saying too much decision-making remains concentrated at the national secretariat instead of involving leaders and grassroots members across the country.
Byakutaaga said the NRM had many experienced cadres who could help mobilise supporters and strengthen the party at district and community levels if given greater responsibility.
“The party must strengthen its democracy, and we must decentralise its activities. Every time, the NRM Secretariat champions everything as if we do not have enough cadres,” he said.
He urged the party leadership to engage candidates who lose primaries and general elections, arguing that they remain important to the party’s political structures and grassroots mobilisation.
The former aspirants said recognising and supporting unsuccessful candidates would help maintain unity within the NRM and reduce frustration among members who invest their resources in seeking party positions.
