NRM postpones residual primaries in Ssembabule for the third time

SSEMBABULE - The National Resistance Movement (NRM) party’s electoral commission (EC) has postponed the Ssembabule district primaries for the third time in two months.

The postponement reportedly followed the death of the district’s returning officer, Joseph Katokozi, on July 29, 2025. Katokozi succumbed to cancer at the Kampala city-based Mulago National Referral Hospital, casting uncertainty over the politically charged race.

The elections, initially rescheduled for today, August 1, were poised to conclude a contentious battle between health state minister Hanifa Kawoya and Maj. Gen. (rtd) Phinehas Katirima.

However, NRM EC chairperson Dr Tanga Odoi announced the indefinite delay, citing the need to regroup after Katokozi’s passing.

A new date will be communicated later, though Odoi urged outgoing district chairperson Sam Kutesa, who recently retired from elective politics, to continue overseeing party affairs in the interim.

Acting Ssembabule NRM registrar Deborah said they had put in place security and other preventive measures against rigging, hooligans and election violence.

Chaotic precedent and health concerns

The delay compounds tensions from last month’s failed primaries at the district playground, where Kawoya and her supporters abruptly withdrew, citing health issues.

“I was roughed up by the Police, and I need medical attention. I cannot proceed,” Kawoya, also the MP for Mawogola West, declared mid-process. Her departure left the exercise in disarray, despite efforts by NRM Buganda region commissioner Ambassador James Kinobe to mediate.

Nearly 400 of the 610 registered voters proceeded to back Katirima. Both camps later traded accusations of vote-buying and housing voters to sway outcomes.

Delays are bad

Katirima criticised the repeated delays, warning of cascading effects on the party’s calendar.

“This postponement disrupts sub-county flag-bearer elections and national events. Time is running out,” he said.

The NRM EC now faces mounting pressure to resolve the impasse while balancing logistical challenges and factional tensions.

The Ssembabule race indicates broader concerns about transparency and stability within the party’s electoral processes as Uganda gears toward the 2026 General Election.