OPINION:NRM SECRETARIAT NEEDS AN OVERHAUL

By Musa Rwamigoye 

 

Mr. Byaruhanga Moses, Hon Ruth Nankabirwa and Chairman Nkesiga Moses Kamisi are suitable candidates who can rehabilitate the glory of the NRM Secretariat.

For NRM Secretariat to be rehabilitated and strengthened, President Museveni who serves as the National Chairman should make an overhaul reshuffle and appoint new staff members. Yes, its true NRM performed well in 2026 general elections at all level but the truth is, the heavy task was not performed by the secretariat. 

Honestly speaking, it was the NRM District Executive Committee (DEC), NRM pressure groups, Veterans and other responsible farmers and businessmen that worked hard to see NRM taking majority positions. 

Therefore, President Museveni should revive NRM with competent leaders at secretariat and in this case, while selecting the General Secretary, the Chairman of the party should professionalize secretariat staff.

The chairman should recruit educated, young and patriotic NRM people as permanent staff but not just cadres looking for jobs. 

 

1.NRM secretariat needs leaders who should think how the party should get monthly income but not just relaying on the handouts from the chairman and IPOD. The party needs a General Secretary who can establish an idea on how membership fees can be used to establish party investments such party radio station, hotels, recreation centers and agricultural farms. Its an embarrassment for a party like NRM which has been in power for 40 years to beg every time. What makes it fail to plan yet it has all avenues in its hands. Honestly, a 40-year party should have businesses and property.

 

2. NRM needs a General Secretary who is in position to restore Ideological seminars for secretariat staff so that they can be embedded with party ideologies.

On this point, the trained Secretariat staff should have regular training of government leaders and party leaders at regional or sub regional level at least twice year but not just during campaigns. So that when Rwamigoye Musa stands in Kiruhura-Kashongi, he speaks ideology, not just praises or what Bakiga tribe call pakyanga.

 

3. NRM secretariat needs a General Secretary who will restore discipline in the party. Its really embarrassing for NRM people to fight each other in constituency and secretariat keeps folding its hands. We have seen party leaders misbehaving but no action has ben taken. MPs are disobeying party principals but the secretariat is silent. We haven’t seen secretariat coming out to defend its party candidates in courts of law who are fighting to retain their victories. 

Not once and not twice, campaigning money has always been swindled by Secretariat staff, hence fostering campaigning challenges on the ground. Secretariat has failed to give genuine accountability. 

At some point, secretariat has been humiliated by party members because of being corrupt. This makes party members lose faith. Therefore, the chairman should come out and fire the entire secretariat staff.

 

4. To know that NRM needs a General Secretary who is a serious thinker, let us go back and see how the previous national delegates conference was organized. To speak the truth, a big percentage of delegates went back home even without voting and hearing the speech of the chairman. 

It was the worst National delegates conference to organized by the secretariat. First and foremost, the criteria of delegates to be accredited was the worst. People cant be accredited and wait for the whole day to get their facilitation and other attached material. 

Additionally, secretariat made a cardinal mistake to all Gheto people in kololo when delegates conference was going on. Why did secretariat all artists to perform in the middle of the conference. You can’t bring in music when its time for party members to discuss important matters concerning their party.

 

Another area where secretariat will never be forgiven, its when it allowed delegates to vote at 3:am in the morning. How can elections of elderly people and women be conducted during sleeping hours. Elders and women who come for delegates conference must be respected. It was dangerous to keep NRM special interest delegates like women,PWDs and elderly for two days in Kololo. 

Mr. Richard Todwong should know that special interest groups went back home embarrassed and lost morale in delegates conference. 

Worse of it all, you forced the President to sleep outside because of poor arrangement. 

Youth delegates almost killed each other because of poor organization. How can you organize an election at 4:am when you know that delegates are tired and i its time for them to rest. 

Why cant campaigning program be arranged on its own and voting on its own. Why do you mix the two activities to occur at the same time. There should be time limit for elections for every category of people. You can’t keep people like Women, PWDs and elderly delegates in Kololo for two days without sleeping and cleaning their bodies. We all know that people in that category have health challenges. Because someone loves NRM, you decide to make him/her sleep outside because he must wait to vote at 4:am.

NB; NRM secretariat should know that responsible delegates left Kololo even without voting and attending the communication and teachings of the party Chairman because of poor management. Why do you mix National delegates conference with disorganized members and deadly members of Gheto Fangon forest who come to the conference targeting party members properties .

Lastly on delegates conference, why did secretariat allow delegates and others members to have meals when it was time for the party Chairman to address the delegates. People start movement up and down inform of a moving wind. 

Therefore, NRM secretariat needs a competent general secretary who is capable of thinking new ideas on how a party like NRM can organize a national delegates conference suitable for its delegates. 

 

5. NRM secretariat needs a General Secretary who is capable of thinking new ideas connected to new generation of Mzee’s Bazzukulu.

Frankly, the secretariat looks archaic. President Museveni should create a secretariat with expertise and skills of managing youth, social media handling in all local languages. Yes NRM can listen, support and respect the party elders. But if it wants to preserve the status quo for the next 20 years, it must speak the language of the grandchildren (Bazzukulu). Therefore, secretariat must be in position to understand what the current generation needs.

Note; A strong Secretariat headed by competent General Secretary means the Chairman doesn’t have to carry the party on his head every day. It becomes a spotless channel for the party to continue even after him.

 

 

THE THREE IDENTIFIED CANDIDATES.

1.Hon Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu was born on 28 November 1965 in Kiboga District 

Nankabirwa pursued higher education at Makerere University, Uganda’s leading institution. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Art, reflecting her creative talents and interest in visual expression. This artistic background has remained part of her identity, even as she entered public life.

She later obtained a Master of Arts in Peace and Conflict Studies, also from Makerere University.

Political career.

She rose Nankabirwa rose through the ranks of Ugandan politics with dedication and loyalty to the National Resistance Movement (NRM). She is known for her roles in shaping policy and supporting national development. She is among few women in NRM who have been loyal to President Museveni. This is a woman who has been in NRM for all the time she has been in active politics. 

From 1994 through 1995, she served as a delegate to the Constituent Assembly. In 1996, Ruth Nankabirwa was elected to serve as the member of parliament for Woman Delegate for Kiboga District. She held that position from 1996 until 2021.

From 1998 through 2001, she served as Minister of State for Luweero Triangle in the Office of the Prime Minister. Between 2001 and 2009, she served as State Minister for Defense, a post she held until she was appointed to be the State Minister for Microfinance. In the Cabinet reshuffle of 27 May 2011, she was moved to the Fisheries Ministry as State Minister, a position she held until she was named Chief Government Whip, a position she served from 1 March 2015 until 3 May 2021.  

In cabinet reshuffle of June 2021, she appointed cabinet minister Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development until 2026 when she was dropped. 

Hon Ruth Nankabirw is staunch support of NRM and a Musevenist. If given an opportunity to serve as Secretary General of National Resistance Movement, there is no doubt to think negative about her. She has enough experience to transform NRM by bringing in more leadership ideas that shapes the mighty party of NRM.  

 

2.Nkesiga Moses is a Ugandan lawyer, NRM Carder community leader and public servant committed to justice, responsible leadership, youth empowerment and grassroots development.

He serves as NRM District Chairman for Kiruhura, where his work has focused on community mobilisation, youth participation, inclusive leadership and connecting communities with opportunities for social and economic development.

Moses Nkesiga Kamiisi is a legal professional and community leader whose work brings together law, public service, community engagement, and leadership.

His professional interests include human rights, social justice, public policy, governance, and legal advocacy, while his community leadership has placed Through his different areas of service, Moses seeks to promote a culture of responsible leadership – one in which communities are listened to, opportunities are expanded, and public service creates lasting impact.particular emphasis on young people, grassroots participation, and development.

 

At his young age, he managed to contest with bigwigs of Kiruhura on the position of District NRM Chairperson and won massively. Its on record that Nkesiga Moses Kamisi never never used money to buy votes but he applied campaigning strategies. His manifesto was excellent to the entire NRM people of Kiruhura regardless of age and sex.

 

Since 2010, he has ben in youth politics and he served as Kiruhura Youth Council Chairperson from 2016-2021. About party mobilization activeness, Chairman Nkesiga has managed to mobilize Youth to support for president Museveni and NRM flag bearers countrywide. He has been political architect of several candidates at both constituency level and national level. 

He is among the few NRM youth who has mentored various youth leaders across Uganda. He has mentored Youth Northern, Eastern, central and western.

Chairman Nkesiga Moses Kamisi shocked the country in January 15th presidential elections after seeing his District winning with the highest percentage for president 99.85%. Chairman Nkesiga used high level tactics to mobilize youth to desist from falsehoods of opposition and vote president Museveni. 

In fact, Chairman Nkesiga is on of the youngest District party Chairperson in the country. He holds high level skills in management and mobilization. Initially, Kiruhura had stiff challenges whenever it came to election time but ever since he took over, Kiruhura District had the best organized elections in the country. In fact, chaos used to erupt but in previous elections remained calm from campaigning time, voting, tallying and declaring. 

Its on record that even secretary general of the party was left challenged with how party elections were handled in Kiruhura. 

Secondly, Kiruhura is the only District in the country where all leaders in elective positions are NRM flag bearers. 

NB; In kiruhura, Chairman Nkesiga is known as Rutaryanguzi (uncorrupt) and Rugambamazima (the one who speaks truth).

Chairman Nkesiga has undergone various political and carder ship training at National Leadership Institute Kyankwanzi.

If given an opportunity to serve as NRM party General Secretary, there is no doubt to think that our mighty party will face setbacks. He is young and energetic, wise, principled, loyal to the chairman of the party and holds respect for party historicals. 

Therefore, NRM party needs a secretary general like Chairman Nkesiga Moses Kamisi because majority party members are youth.

 

3.Mr. Byaruhanga Moses is a Senior Presidential Advisor/Presidential Assistant on Political Affairs/mobilization to President Yoweri Museveni, who is often referred to as “The fixer of Museveni’s internal political challenges” .

 

 He is a key figure in State House & President’s office because those who know/have worked with him say that there is no office of government in Uganda that is beyond his reach whether to find anyone a job or direct that office to deliver a service to a community for the benefit of NRM.

 

 He has a lot of powers because unlike many other presidential advisors who only fall under the office of the President, Moses Byaruhanga popularly known as (MOB) is also in State House as a powerful Presidential aide on political affairs.

MRr. MOB handles two roles, he has always been key in handling President Museveni’s special assignments especially in sensitive areas like Kampala and ghettos across the country. He is the immediate supervisor of Major Emma, Junior Kisanja and Yiga Kissakyamukama who have done a wonderful job.

 

THE RISE OF MR.MOB.

In 2006 elections NRM performed poorly in Kampala so President M7 assigned Mr. Moses Byaruhanga to fix what he called the “Kampala problem ahead of 2011 elections.” 

Surprisingly, Mr. Byaruhanga fixed Kampala very well to the extent that NRM got 17 out of 22 KCCA councillors. In fact, majority of city division councillors went ahead and impeached Lord mayor Lukwago because NRM was in charge.

In 2016 & 2021 Mr. Byaruhanga operated outside Kampala focusing on youth in different urban areas and Kampala once gain fell into the hands of opposition with NRM performing dismally. In order not to fall again, President Museveni instructed Mr. Byaruhanga to do the magic he did in 2011 to make sure that NRM performs well in 2026 because NUP was observed as a threat in Kampala Metropolitan.

Although President Museveni lost in Buganda, results declared by EC showed that he performed far better than 2021 polls. In 2026, EC results shows that President Museveni got 1,157,832 votes (49.25%), coming second to Hon Kyagulanyi who scored 1,170,780 votes(49.37%). Therefore, comparing to what President Museveni got in 2021 visa via results of 2026, clearly there is a big difference. This shows that new strategies were used to secure 49% for Mzee and credit goes to Mr. Byaruhanga. 

Furthermore, in Kampala Central Division where NUP was strong, an NRM candidate Hajjat Minsa Kabanda managed to defeat Hon David Lewis Rubongoya who serves NUP Secretary General and in Kawempe South Hon Madina Nsereko of NRM defeated Fred Nyanzi of National Unity Platform (NUP) and independent candidate Roy Ssemboga. 

In Nakawa East parliamentary race, Hon Fred Ruhindi of NRM won Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro of NUP.

On the position of Mayor Kampala Central Division, Candidate Salim Uhuru Nsubuga ofNRM defeated his close competitor, Hamudan Kigozi Semugoma from NUP. These two victories shows that there was a challenge in campaigning strategies compared to 2021.

 

Records shows that in 2011, Mr. Byaruhanga Moses worked with Gen Salim Saleh and a special team that included Hajjat Madina Nsereko the current NRM Chairperson Kawempe & Kawempe South NRM flagbearer, Okello and Tayebwa from microfinance support centre, Mr Longa Godfrey who was handling youth desk at State House, Dr Aggrey Kyobuguzi who was handling special duties like presidential pledges under NAADS Secretariat, Mr Alfred Thopachu, Barbara Bindeeba, and Suzan Lubogo at State House and later Mariam Otengo and John Teira to identity the magnitude of support needed to pacify Kampala and bring on board the youths and women vote.

The team assessed and confirmed to him that Kampala needed chicken as a quick fix so they distributed them in very many house holds of Kampala peri-urban area. The launch was presided over by Gen Saleh in Kazo Angola in Kawempe. The team also recommended that for chicken to grow well, they needed water connected cheaply to all Kampala farmers and markets that water was nicknamed “yellow water” and cheap money for market vendors.

Importantly, Mr. Byaruhanga Moses has regularly participated in organizing National Resistance Movement Party Manifesto. This means that he a recognized member of the NRM and who has worked for it in different special areas. 

Therefore, Mr. Byaruhanga Moses qualifies to serve as NRM party General Secretary if given an opportunity.