The National Resistance Movement Electoral Commission has called on all party members to attend village barazas on Friday, July 10, 2026, to verify and confirm the party’s flag bearers for the upcoming LC I and Women Council elections.
Speaking at the commission headquarters in Kampala, NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson Tanga Odoi said the exercise is a key milestone in the party’s electoral roadmap, aimed at ensuring every village has duly verified candidates before the national nomination process.
Dr. Odoi said the barazas will be held simultaneously in all 72,000 villages across the country, starting at 10:00 a.m., and urged all NRM members to attend meetings at their respective village baraza grounds.
“The purpose of the baraza is to verify that the candidates who were selected as NRM flag bearers for LC I and Women Council elections are still available, alive, and willing to contest on the party ticket,” he said.
He explained that the meetings will also address vacancies arising from the death, withdrawal, or loss of interest of any flag bearer. In such cases, village members, under the guidance of the NRM Electoral Commission registrar, will identify a replacement through consensus. Where consensus cannot be reached, an election will be conducted.
Dr. Odoi emphasized that the exercise is not a fresh selection process, noting that all villages had already elected their flag bearers. Instead, the barazas are intended to validate the previously selected candidates while ensuring any vacancies are filled immediately.
Following the verification exercise, the names of all confirmed flag bearers will be submitted to the Office of the NRM Secretary General for endorsement between July 11 and July 14. The endorsed candidates will then be nominated by the Electoral Commission at the sub-county level from July 15 to July 19, 2026.
The verified candidates will subsequently contest in the national Local Government elections, with Women Council elections scheduled for July 23, 2026, and LC I elections on July 28, 2026.
Dr. Odoi appealed to all aspiring candidates and party members to prioritize attendance at the village barazas, saying the exercise is vital for strengthening the party’s grassroots structures and ensuring the NRM fields duly verified candidates nationwide.
“The success of these elections begins with every member taking part in the village baraza. We call upon all NRM members to set aside whatever they are doing and attend the meetings in their respective villages at 10:00 a.m. on July 10, so that we can prepare our flag bearers for victory in the forthcoming elections,” he said.
He added that the NRM Electoral Commission, district election officers, registrars, and regional supervisors have finalized preparations and will oversee the nationwide exercise to ensure a smooth, transparent, and credible verification process.
