What next for NRM as young Turks outshine old guard

The National Resistance Movement (NRM) delegates’ conference on Thursday elected the party’s top leadership, forming a team with whom President Museveni, the party National Chairperson, will steer the Central Executive Committee (CEC) for the next five years.

With Mr Museveni and Mr Moses Kigongo unopposed as National Chairperson and 1st National Vice Chairperson respectively, the delegates hard to take tough decision on the post of 2nd National Vice Chairperson (female) and six regional Vice Chairpersons for Karamoja, Kampala, Eastern, Northern, Central and Western.

Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga trounced Junior Lands Minister Persis Namuganza to retain the position of 2nd National Vice Chairperson (female), which she has previously won easily.

Capt Mike Mukula, the Vice Chairperson for Eastern region, and Mr Simon Peter Aleper, the Vice Chairperson for Karamoja region, are the other two who won the Thursday vote, which ended the tenure of Maj Gen Matayo Kyaligonza in Western region, Mr Sam Engola for Northern region, and Mr Godfrey Nyakana of Greater Kampala. Mr Abdul Nadduli for Central region was talked out of the contest by President Museveni.

The just concluded processes ushered in the new breed of younger cadres who have been elevated to CEC, the party’s top organ, where major policies and decisions of the party are generated. They new breed of youthful leaders are Dr Chris Baryomunsi, 50, as Vice Chairperson for Western region; Mr Godfrey Kiwanda, 47, as Vice Chairperson for Central region, Mr Singh Katongole, 55, and, Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oulanyah, 55, as Vice Chairperson for Northern Uganda.

The infusion of four young Turks into CEC will likely be seen as causing a generational shift in the top NRM party leadership as the elderly men in Gen Kyaligonza, Mr Naduli, and Sam Engola now give way. In the current CEC, President Museveni, 75, his other elderly deputy Mr Kigongo, the Second National Vice Chairperson (female) Rebecca Kadaga, 64, the Vice Chairperson for Eastern Uganda Capt Mukula, 62, will face a new breeze of ideas and voices from the young new entrants.

The Karamoja region Vice Chairperson, Mr Aleper, 46, is the youngest on the top executive of nine people having retained his position.

But behind the Thursday elections, there are other members of CEC whose tenure as chairpersons of different leagues or special organs were extended after the decision was taken that the national delegates’ conference where they are elected is not held in Kampala because of Covid-19 spread.

Most of those leagues are chaired by young cadres below the age of 60, except the Veterans League Chairperson Maj Gen Jim Muhwezi, 69, the Historical League Chairperson, Mr Kirunda Kivejinja, 85, and the Elders League Chairperson Mr Dominic Mafwabi Gidudu.

Other young members of CEC are Mr James Tweheyo who chairs the Workers League, Ms Lydia Wanyoto, 50, who chairs the Womens’ League, Mr Gadafi Nasur of the Youth League, Mr Gabriel Kato of the Persons with Disabilities League, and Dr Richard Rukaari of the Entrepreneurship League.
Among the Chairman’s Special Appointees in CEC are East Africa and Regional Affairs Minister Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire, 69, and Uganda’s Ambassador to China Dr Crispus Kiyonga, 68. This means there will be at least 10 CEC members who are below 60 against at least nine old cadres when the meetings are convened to plan for Uganda whose medium age is 16.7 years.
While campaigning, most of these young cadres and most of their generation, who did not make it through the vote, emphasised the need to breathe new energy into the party with promises to ensure the young people are mobilised against the now emerging opposition leader, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine of the National Unity Platform (NUP).

Mr Mathias Kasamba, the Director for Mobilisations in NRM, welcomed the young cadres to the CEC, saying their elections means a lot for the party in building a formidable force in rebutting the challenge the Opposition poses in attracting young people.

The East African Legislative Assembly member, said: “I am the happiest man that since we are going to work through the structures to ensure victory in 2021, I have not got a formidable force which has already traversed the entire country, young as it is, committed as it. This team has been tested because Katongole (Singh) was an MP (Rubaga North), Aleper was MP (Muroto Municipality), Kiwanda and Dr Baryomisi are ministers and MPs” Mr Kasamba said.

He said the trend of the young cadres making it to the top party policymaking organ will help stablise the old guard to ensure the best is planned for the country that is surging towards attaining a middle income status and requires the welfare of the youthful population.

Asked about how the party will treat the elderly members of CEC that have not retained their positions, Mr Kasamba said such people are going nowhere because they are still needed by the nation.

“I commend them for the work that they have done for the party and I can assure you that through working with the top leadership, they will continue to stabilise this country in as far as doing business in the right direction,” he added.

Burahya Country MP Margaret Muhanga, who speaks for the NRM Parliamentary Caucus, described the rise of the young cadres to high positions in the party as a “good stride” that will help influence the decisions of CEC in terms of what legislations needs to be tabled by the government.

Namuganza’s fight
Ms Namuganza, 34, surprised many when she put up a spirited fight against Speaker Kadaga for the position of Second National Vice Chairperson (female), but quickly conceded defeat. She wondered whether her colleagues who made it to CEC would competently represent the voices of the young people like her.

Ms Namuganza said much as the party has elected its leaders, the process was influenced by cliques, which formed to help Ms Kadaga to stick to the position.

“I am thankful that the NRM has chosen the leaders but the process was not easy and I wonder whether my colleagues will table matters of the young people and leave the interests of the others with whom they forged ways of suppressing others during campaigns,” Ms Namuganza said.

She added: “My colleague Ministers Kiwanda (State Tourism and Baryomunsi (State Housing) teamed up with the Speaker and flew in choppers to reach everywhere while we were using our own means. Whatever money they dished out was for people to vote the three of them.”

According to the results that were displayed as they trickled in at tally centre, Ms Namuganza managed to defeat the Speaker in the Districts of Bushenyi, Bulambuli, Gulu, Bukedea, Rubirizi and Bundibugyo.

Oulanyah’s journey
Mr Oulanyah, who left Uganda Peoples Congress party to join the NRM in 2006, had twice made an attempt to make it to CEC but all in vain.

In 2010, he lost the bid to become the Deputy Secretary General and in 2015 he stepped down for Mr Engola after what he said was a persuasion by President Museveni.

Much as the Omoro County MP insists that getting to CEC this time was intended to ensure he becomes part of the initial processes of determining who becomes the Speaker of Parliament, sources in his camp believe he now has the golden chance to argue his case against Ms Kadaga who seems not ready to bow out next year.

Mr Oulanyah expressed interest in Speakership in 2016 but settled for Deputy Speaker after CEC advised that he serves as Ms Kadaga’s understudy for two terms before climbing upwards.

NRM CEC results

2nd National Vice Chairperson (F)
Rebecca Kadaga 6,776
Percis Namuganza 3,943

Vice Chairperson for Kampala
Godfrey Nyakana 2,665
Singh Katongole 4,503
Salim Uhuru 2,468

Vice Chairperson Northern
Emmanuel Odongo Oledo 277
Jacob Oulanyah 7,473
Sam Engola 1,665
Timothy Okee 995

Vice Chairperson, Central
Twaha Ssonko Kiganda 1,048
Godfrey Kiwanda 4,749
Moses Mayengo 127
John Magaro 675
Moses Kalwanga Kalisa 3,701

Vice Chairperson, Eastern (Partial)
Mike Mukula 5,818
Sanjay Tana 4,162
Christine Harriet Akello 162

Vice Chairperson, Western
Diin Emmanuel Kisembo 224
Matayo Kyaligonza 2,930
Florence Kintu Tumwine 1,875
Chris Baryomunsi 5,947
Boaz Kafuda 662
Apollo Timuganya 259
Wilberforce Muhang 1,285

Vice Chairperson, Karamoja
Simon Peter Aleper 8,143
Jimmy Lokoru Tebanyang 2,220