The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Director for Mobilisation, Cadre Identification, Recruitment and Placement, Rosemary Nansubuga Sseninde, has cautioned party leaders against fueling divisions by backing rival candidates, warning that such conduct could undermine unity and discipline ahead of the 2026 general elections.
Sseninde was speaking during a pre-entry meeting for President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni ahead of his campaign trail in the Kigezi Sub-region next week.
The meeting, held at Agaba Center in Kabale Municipality, brought together NRM flag bearers and District Executive Committee members from the six districts of Kigezi as part of preparations for the President’s visit on Friday.
She acknowledged that the recent NRM primary elections had caused rifts in some areas and urged those who lost to respect the outcome and support the official flag bearers.
“We had primary elections, and we know very well that these primaries have already divided our people,” Sseninde said. “I call upon those who lost in the primaries to step aside for the flag bearers, because not everybody can win. When you join a competition of that nature, you must know there is always a winner and a loser.”
Sseninde urged NRM members and supporters to rally behind the party’s official candidates instead of independents.
“As a party, we support the flag bearers and not the independents. The issue of independents, and some of those who have insisted and are becoming defiant, is because they know NRM is strong,” she said. “I call upon the people of Uganda not to support independents.”
She warned that leaders who simultaneously back independents and NRM flag bearers risk dividing the very communities they are supposed to mobilize.
Sseninde stressed that the forthcoming campaigns will be driven by NRM party structures from the village level upwards.
“This time round, this campaign is in the hands of the structures. The President has made it very clear. The leaders at the village are now in charge of this campaign, and the district committee is heading the campaign at district level,” she said. “It is the reason we have had mass rallies, because the leaders have done the mobilization.”
She expressed confidence that these structures will deliver victory in the upcoming polls.
“Even in the campaign for the 15th of January, the leaders are going to do a good job. We trust them, we believe in them, and that is why we are giving them guidance on how this can be done,” she added.
Sseninde made a strong appeal to the youth to stand firmly with NRM and President Museveni, saying government has consistently prioritized their empowerment.
“I want to tell the young people: please trust NRM, believe in NRM. Every time, the President comes with new ideas that give energy and empowerment to the people of Uganda. He ushered in peace and stability, which has led to development. Development has led to wealth, and wealth has led to jobs,” she said.
She said appreciating the country’s progress under President Museveni is essential to understanding Uganda’s future direction.
“If you don’t appreciate where President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has brought this country from, you will not be able to appreciate where we are now, and you will not be able to believe in where we are going,” she noted.
Sseninde urged Ugandans not to be swayed by what she termed as “lies of the opposition” but instead rally behind the NRM and its chairman.
“Believe in NRM. Believe in President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, because this is a person who knows all the corners of Uganda and has dedicated himself to resolving the challenges of this country,” she said. “God has given Uganda a gift in President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. He is here with us. Let us give him the mandate.”
She also highlighted government interventions targeting youth empowerment, including the Social Economic Empowerment Program and the Parish-Based Model (PBM), which she said will receive increased support and funding.
Sseninde noted that many university graduates remain unemployed because government cannot absorb everyone into public service, but said President Museveni has promised a fund to help young people start their own businesses.
She commended the establishment of skilling programs and skilling hubs in various sub-regions, saying they have given hope to many young Ugandans.
“These hubs have given hope to the youth of Uganda. Many of them have been giving testimonies at all the rallies he has held, explaining how they have benefited from the skilling programs. This alone is giving a lot of hope to young people who previously did not see where they were going,” she said.
She added that young Ugandans can now “breathe”, knowing that the NRM government has planned for them and “has a lot of hope and good things” in store.
President Museveni is expected in Kisoro and Rubanda on Monday, November 24, before proceeding to Rukiga and Kabale on Tuesday.
He will conclude his regional tour in Kanungu and Rukungiri on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, ahead of the presidential elections scheduled for January 15, 2026.
