The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Electoral Commission has warned aspirants in the Adjumani West parliamentary by-election against violence, sectarianism and other forms of electoral misconduct ahead of Thursday’s party primaries.
NRM Electoral Commission chairman Dr Tanga Odoi said on Monday that the commission would not hesitate to disqualify candidates found engaging in misconduct or attempting to manipulate the electoral process.
“The Commission will take firm action against any aspirant found engaging in misconduct,” Dr Odoi said at a press conference.
He said evidence of sectarianism, intimidation, bribery, voter interference or attempts to rig the primaries would attract disciplinary action, including disqualification.
The commission announced that the updating of village party registers would run from Monday, August 31, to Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
The exercise will be followed by village barazas in all the 99 villages in Adjumani West Constituency, where registered NRM members will scrutinise the updated registers and verify the names of members eligible to participate in the primaries.
The barazas will be held on Tuesday from 4:30pm to 5:30pm.
Dr Odoi said new members would be required to provide proof of residence in their respective villages, warning against attempts to infiltrate the registers with people who are not residents of Adjumani West, particularly those from neighbouring Adjumani East Constituency.
The NRM parliamentary primary election is scheduled for Thursday, September 3, 2026, across all 99 villages in the constituency.
Dr Odoi urged candidates, party leaders and supporters to maintain peace, discipline and unity throughout the electoral process.
He commended the aspirants and their supporters for conducting their campaigns with minimal violence, saying the contest had generally remained peaceful despite its competitive nature.
However, he warned that the commission would “crack the whip” against candidates or supporters found engaging in sectarian politics, incitement or attempts to interfere with the election.
“We shall crack the whip by disqualifying anybody accused, with evidence, of spreading sectarian tendencies or participating in attempts to infiltrate Adjumani West,” he said.
NRM hails women’s council election performance
Dr Odoi also expressed satisfaction with the party’s performance in the district-level women’s council committee elections conducted by the Electoral Commission on Friday, August 28.
According to results presented by the Electoral Commission, NRM candidates won 575 of the 584 contested positions, giving the party a 98.5 per cent success rate.
Accompanied by NRM Electoral Commission commissioners James Tweheyo, Ambassador James Williams Kinobe, Zaituni Dwaru, Alisemera Jane and Juliana Auma, Dr Odoi urged aspirants seeking national-level positions to await official guidance from the commission.
He cautioned them against inflammatory and sectarian statements, intimidation, bribery, voter interference and other actions that could undermine the party’s electoral processes.
“This party is democratic and patriotic. It is committed to socio-economic development, and we don’t expect anybody who wants to stand on the ticket for the National Council for Women at the national level to act in a manner that disrupts the process,” Dr Odoi said.
NRM mourns King Oyo
The NRM Electoral Commission also extended condolences to the people of Tooro Kingdom, the royal family and all Ugandans following the death of Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
The commission expressed solidarity with the people of Tooro, NRM supporters and other stakeholders in the Rwenzori region as the kingdom mourns its monarch.
