President Museveni speaks out on NRM primaries

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President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has congratulated National Resistance Movement (NRM) members on what he described as a largely successful internal election process, while strongly condemning acts of violence, cheating, bribery and result-tampering reported in some areas during the primaries held on July 17, 2025.

In a statement issued Sunday, Jul 20, Museveni, who is also the NRM national chairman, revealed that over 9.2 million members, around 50% of the total party membership of 18.5 million, participated in the primaries.

The President said the turnout, especially on a weekday, was commendable and showed the party’s strength and grassroots engagement.

He referenced his own village of Rwakyitura, where 251 members were verified from the original list of 350, highlighting efforts to clean up the registers.

However, Museveni was critical of what he termed "unpatriotic actors" accused of manipulating the process.

He cited serious concerns, including vote-rigging, register tampering, the use of violence, some of which led to deaths, and the bribery of voters.

He stated that such acts are not only ideologically and politically wrong but also prosecutable under the laws of Uganda.

“Why should the wanainchi tolerate the one who deflects them from this by being violent, cheating, etc.? With more political maturity, such people will be rejected,” Museveni said, urging NRM members to stay focused on electing leaders who can effectively implement government programmes aimed at solving community problems.

He underscored the purpose of leadership as a tool for solving what he termed omukyeno—solvable problems. Drawing from everyday examples, Museveni distinguished between issues that can be addressed by practical means and those that are simply part of nature, like baldness, for which he offered himself as an example.

The President listed a range of achievements under the NRM, from improved security and economic liberalisation to access to immunisation, transport, and support for wealth creation through initiatives such as the Parish Development Model (PDM).

He said these outcomes are proof that when leaders are chosen wisely, development follows.

Turning to accountability, the President promised prosecution for those who distorted the voting process, particularly those who altered results in broad daylight.

He said villagers witnessed the voting and know the true outcome, making it easier to investigate and prosecute offenders.

He also warned that cases involving violence and registration fraud will be pursued, including examining the possible role of security personnel where incidents occurred.

He hinted that some actions may mirror previous attempts to undermine state authority through coordinated unrest.

Despite these irregularities, Museveni expressed confidence that the majority of the primaries were free and fair, and he congratulated all NRM members who participated.

He advised supporters to remain calm where problems were reported, assuring them that the wrongdoers would be brought to book.

The full statement follows below;

The NRM members, especially the Bazzukulu,

Greetings and congratulations on the NRM Primaries that were carried out on the 17th of July 2025.

On that day, one of our sources has now told me that 9.22 million members of our Party participated in the Primaries supporting the different candidates. This is about 50% of our total membership of 18.5 million confirmed on the 6th of May 2025, when I also went back to Rwakyitura to check on the NRM membership in our village.

In Rwakyitura village, which has just been cut out of the bigger Nshwerenkye village, we confirmed 251 members from the original list of 350. One of the people we edited out of the list was Maama Janet, who has been voting from Ireenga in Ntungamo ever since she decided to be politically active in our birth area of Ntungamo in the year 2005.

Therefore, 9.22 million members of our Party turning up on the 17th of July 2025, for the NRM Primaries, on a working day and mid-week, is not bad. Congratulations.

However, I must condemn, in the strongest terms, what I started hearing in some areas where some unpatriotic actors are alleged to have committed the following mistakes:

Altering results;
Tampering with the registers;
Using violence, including causing some deaths, apart from the injuries caused;
And the use of money and materials to bribe voters.

These are politically and ideologically wrong and must be condemned by all the lovers of the NRM and Uganda.

All our members need to know that the leaders we elect are meant to download Government programmes to kukyenuura (solve the solvable problems) of the Wanainchi. Omukyeno is a problem that could be solved if the necessary actions were taken.

If my hair is not combed because I lack eshokozo (a comb), then I have omukyeno of eshokozo. If, however, I have a bald head, like is the case with your Oldman, then that is no longer omukyeno, it is obuhaangwa (the way one was created by God).

Repeat, please. The purpose of electing leaders is to rationally choose leaders and a Party that can kukyenuura (solve) our mikyeno (solvable problems). Why should, then, the Wanainchi tolerate the one who deflects them from this by being violent, cheating, etc.

With more political maturity, such people will be rejected.

Where the NRM programmes are well implemented, the kukyenuura takes place. You want examples? Here below they are:

       Security of person and property (part of the 10 points programme);

        Immunisation has eliminated polio, measles, etc.;

        Liberalisation of the economy attracted so many investors that quickly helped us to end ebura (shortages) of the so-called essential commodities (sugar, salt, soap, paraffin, beers, sodas, textiles, forex);

         Shortage of public transport in the form of buses, taxis, not to talk of boda bodas, was ended;

        Ugandans living abroad as refugees was ended by the policy of reconciliation. Uganda’s 500,000 people were refugees in Congo and South Sudan by 1986;

       People listening to the NRM message of Wealth Creation getting out of poverty, such as the people in the cattle corridor, Masaka with coffee, Kalangala with palm oil, Bundibugyo with palm oil and coffee, individuals like Nyakaana and Joseph Ijala, etc.;

    The families that have started receiving the PDM have got very strong testimonies.

All these are Government (the NRM) programmes that kukyenuura people (solve their problems) when they are properly downloaded. The leaders and the Party that we need to support are the ones that do precisely this.

Why, then, do you tolerate and be used by the unpatriotic elements that pollute our beautiful process of democracy with violence, bribery, cheating, etc.? It is so annoying.

However, the good thing is that the mistakes they are committing are also crimes under the law of the State of Uganda, which renders them prosecutable.

We are, therefore, going to prosecute these mistake-makers. The easiest to start with are those who altered results.

Why? It is because the voting took place by lining behind candidates or their portraits during the day, and, therefore, each village knows who and how many voted for this one or that one. If, therefore, you altered the results, we are coming for you. It is not only the registrar that knows the results village by village.

The next to deal with are those who caused violence. That criminality must have been witnessed by many people. We shall go for the wrongdoer.

Where soldiers and policemen are involved, you need to answer the question: “Was it the soldier’s mistake, or were some goons trying to disarm the security personnel, as was being planned by the bankrupt leaders last year, July, when riots here were supposed to coincide with those of Kenya?”

The issue of the registers needs more scrutiny. It is true that we all edited the NRM village registers on the 6th of May 2025, when I also went to my Rwakyitura village, as already said. However, it is also true that I heard of some bloated villages later. We shall get to the bottom of it.

In spite of those pollutants to our beautiful and massive democratic process, in many areas, the voting went on well, from what I have gathered.

I, therefore, congratulate the NRM members. Where problems were encountered, do not be provoked. We shall get the culprits.

Signed,

YOWERI K. MUSEVENI

SSAABALWANYI

SSEMALUNGU

(I am using these bush titles to sensitise the Bazzukulu about our history.)