400 NRM youth supporters defect to People Power movement

Some of the NRM youth who defected from NRM party to Peoples Power Movement. Photo by Joseph Omollo

What you need to know:

  • Mr Emojong said they are going work hard as foot soldiers for the People Power movement to ensure that they dislodge the NRM party from power in 2021 general elections.
  • “We are going to make sure that we support and field candidates in all elective positions in this district on People Power ticket because that is where we see our hope of change now,” he said.
  • The NRM party registrar, Mr Kadokech, who received party cards from the youth supporters, wished a safe departure.
  • “Thank you for returning back our party cards and I wish you the best of luck in all your endeavours but I’m sure your numbers will not cost the NRM as a party,” he said.

Over 80 youth supporters of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party in Tororo District have defected to People Power, a political pressure group associated with Kyadondo East Member of Parliament, Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine.

The group led by the Speaker of eastern division council in Tororo municipality, Mr Deogratius Emojong, defected to People Power movement during a meeting, which took place at Tororo Municipal gardens on Wednesday.

The defected youth leaders also handed over their NRM party cards to the district NRM party registrar, Mr Joseph Kadokech, saying the party has been crippled by corruption.

Mr Emojong, who has been a strong NRM cadre and renown mobiliser of President Museveni said they decided to quit the party because it is full dictatorial tendencies and without internal democracy.

“We are tired of the politics of patronage and connection, which has infiltrated the party, coupled with high levels of corruption and discrimination,” Mr Emojong, said.

Mr Emojong said he joined the NRM party in 2015 with so much hope and optimism, but he said, it was a wrong perception.

“I thought it was the best party but I was wrong and I have decided to quit with others, who also think it was a wrong decision to join the party,” he said.

Mr Emojong said they are going work hard as foot soldiers for the People Power movement to ensure that they dislodge the NRM party from power in 2021 general elections.

“We are going to make sure that we support and field candidates in all elective positions in this district on People Power ticket because that is where we see our hope of change now,” he said.

The NRM party registrar, Mr Kadokech, who received party cards from the youth supporters, wished a safe departure.

“Thank you for returning back our party cards and I wish you the best of luck in all your endeavours but I’m sure your numbers will not cost the NRM as a party,” he said.

Mr Kadokech said NRM the government has built strong grass root structures and gained popularity which cannot be shaken by the opposition.

“They are crossing to another party out of excitement and propaganda by the opposition but it will not shake us,” he said.

Mr David Owidi, another youth leader from Kasoli parish said as NRM youth leaders, they were angered by the decision of the NRM party to endorse the sole candidature of President Museveni without consultation.

“During the recently concluded countrywide tour of the president, our leaders were busy endorsing him as sole candidate without organising for a delegates’ conference or consulting us,” he said, adding that country risks becoming a monarchy of sorts if things are not reversed.

Mr Owidi said although the NRM party has best policies on paper, implementation has remained a problem because of corruption and tribalism.

Editor: An earlier version of this story stated that they were over 400 youth who defected from the NRM party to the People Power group. However 80 youth, whose membership to the NRM party could be accounted for, gave their cards back to the NRM district Patrick registrar. This figure has since been clarified in the article.