President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has cautioned against election malpractice, corruption, and the use of money in politics, describing them as “poison” that threatens Uganda’s future and undermines accountability.
Addressing the National Resistance Movement (NRM) National Executive Committee (NEC) at State House, Entebbe, on Saturday, August 23, 2025, Museveni warned that leaders who bribe voters become unaccountable and risk pushing the country back into instability.
“Money is poison. When leaders are elected through bribery or cheating, they become unaccountable to the people. That is what caused wars in the past, and we cannot allow it to happen again,” he said, adding that both government and the party will prosecute perpetrators of electoral malpractice.
The NEC, the second-highest organ of the ruling party, unanimously endorsed Museveni as the unopposed NRM National Chairman for another five years and as the party’s Presidential Flag Bearer in the 2026 General Elections.
The President lauded the growth of the NRM, which he said now has over 18 million members, with young leaders increasingly taking on key roles.
He likened their involvement to a warthog defended by its young ones, stressing that the NRM’s future lies in its youth.
Museveni also reflected on Uganda’s four decades of stability under the NRM, attributing it to the principles of patriotism, Pan-Africanism, democracy, and socio-economic transformation, alongside the establishment of strong national institutions such as the army and police.
On the economy, he outlined Uganda’s progress through phases of recovery, expansion, diversification, and value addition, calling for a “qualitative leap” into a knowledge-based economy to ensure full modernisation. He said the economy has grown 17 times since 1986.
The NEC further adopted the Secretary General’s report as a guiding document for the party’s strategic direction, while recommending candidates for top party positions ahead of the 2026 elections.
Among the names forwarded for consideration at the forthcoming National Delegates Conference are Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga and Rt. Hon. Anita Among for Second National Vice Chairperson (Female).
The meeting also raised concerns about alleged voter bribery within party structures, including reports that some delegates for the Entrepreneurs League had been flown abroad by a candidate. Museveni ordered an investigation, warning that such practices set a dangerous precedent.
He reminded members that similar incidents in the UPC government triggered the bush war that brought the NRM to power.
Reading the NEC resolutions, Secretary General Richard Todwong said the decisions reflect the Movement’s commitment to “unity, continuity, and transformation” as it prepares for the 2026 polls.
Museveni closed the meeting by announcing that he will deliver a more detailed address at the National Delegates Conference, focusing on political stability, economic transformation, and safeguarding NRM’s four-decade legacy while preparing for Uganda’s next phase of development.
