Hon David Bahati, a man once trusted with the keys to the NRM house, a face at the heart of State power, a minister, a party chairman, a loyal guardian of Museveni’s order, is allegedly considering to contest as an independent candidate, against the NRM candidate.
He did not cry foul to the NRM party tribunal. He did not call for justice within the party courts. Instead, he swallowed his silence, and now prepares to return to the battlefield, not in yellow robes, but wrapped in the defiance of an independent.
For a long time, Hon Bahati stood at the front lines of party discipline. He summoned rebels back to the fold, reminded cadres of loyalty, and preached unity like gospel. But now, the preacher is breaking his own altar.
Why would the enforcer of order now choose the road of disobedience? Why is this NRM shepherd abandoning the NRM flock?
The Fall of a Political Giant?
While many see it as the natural response of a politician fighting for survival, others interpret it as a betrayal of party discipline and a clear sign that Bahati’s political sun may be setting, and not just in Kabale.
For close to two decades, Bahati has loomed large over Kigezi politics. First elected to Parliament in 2006, he was quickly absorbed into the NRM power center, eventually becoming a minister, serving in key dockets such as Planning and now Trade. As NRM District Chairperson for Kabale, he has presided over the party’s structures with an iron grip, overseeing candidate selections, mobilizations, and strategic planning.
But when he recently lost the party primaries to newcomer Hon. Eliab Mporera, Bahati did not step aside in humility. He is now considering running as an independent, setting up what could become a dramatic confrontation with the very party he has helped lead for two decades.
But what does the NRM Constitution Says: Rules Are Rules
The NRM Constitution is clear on the matter. Article 4(13)(c) of the NRM Constitution (as amended) provides that:
“Any member who stands as an independent candidate against the official party flag bearer automatically ceases to be a member of the party.”
This means if Bahati returns to the race as an independent, he will be automatically expelled from the NRM.
He will lose his standing as district party chairman, be removed from NRM meetings, lose party support infrastructure, and be treated as a political outsider. For a man who has built his career on loyalty to President Museveni and the Movement, this would amount to political excommunication.
Can He Still Command NRM Support?
That’s the paradox.
The party network will faces a cruel test: Will they stay loyal to the party or to their former kingmaker?
NRM cadres in Kabale are already split. Some are privately sympathetic to Bahati’s frustrations, claiming the primaries were manipulated by external forces.
Others argue that Counsel Eliab Naturinda Mporera’s win was clean and reflects a hunger for generational change. But whatever the truth, the law is not grey: NRM leaders who back an independent candidate face disciplinary action.
This puts local councillors, sub-county mobilizers, and youth leaders in an impossible position.
Museveni’s Dilemma: When a Loyalist Becomes a Rebel
This isn’t just another internal squabble. President Museveni personally relies on cadres, principled loyalists who have pushed through controversial decisions, defended the regime in Parliament, and helped secure votes.
But politics does not reward past loyalty forever. With each election cycle, Museveni faces the challenge of managing internal dissent without fracturing the party.
Already, figures like Rebecca Kadaga, Barnabas Tinkasimire, and others have defied the party after losing primaries, only to be welcomed back later. That precedent undermines discipline, and Bahati might be banking on it.
Still, the stakes are higher now. Bahati isn’t just a member, he’s a leader. If even a district chairman-turned-minister can rebel and remain politically viable, what message does that send to the rank and file?
Rather than reimagine his political purpose, Bahati seems to be clinging to the old logic of entitlement: “I have served, therefore I must stay.” But the electorate is showing less patience for that argument every year.
Bahati’s move will define his personal legacy. If he proceeds as an independent, he will walk out of the party gates he helped guard for years.
If he steps aside gracefully, he could return in another form, mentor, statesman, or ambassador. But if he chooses rebellion, he may walk alone.
The Source Reports.
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