By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KMPALA
A group of National Resistance Movement (NRM) youth members under the banner of the NRM Revolutionary Network (NRN) have petitioned party chairman Yoweri Kaguta Museveni raising concerns over the procedure used in identifying the ruling party’s candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 12th Parliament.
In a letter dated March 9, 2026, the youth asked the NRM leadership to revisit the process, arguing that some of the established party procedures were not followed before the reported endorsement of the incumbent Speaker and Deputy Speaker as official NRM candidates.
The petition, addressed to President Museveni in his capacity as NRM national chairman, was received by the party’s First Deputy National Chairman, Al-Hajji Moses Kigongo.
The cadres said their concerns are not directed at the personalities currently occupying the offices but rather at the “procedural integrity” of how the party identifies candidates for key constitutional positions.
“We respectfully bring to your attention concerns surrounding the reported endorsement of the incumbent Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Parliament as official NRM candidates for the positions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 12th Parliament,” the letter reads in part.
The group argued that the NRM revolution has historically emphasized systems and institutional discipline over individual political arrangements.
According to the petitioners, the party’s internal rules provide a clear process for selecting candidates for the leadership of Parliament.
They cited the NRM Parliamentary Caucus Rules of Procedure (2014), which outline steps including submission of expressions of interest to the NRM Electoral Commission, consideration by the Central Executive Committee (CEC), and nomination by the NRM Parliamentary Caucus before Parliament’s first sitting.
However, the group claims the reported endorsement was made before several key stages had been completed.
Among the issues raised were the gazettement of Special Interest Group representatives to Parliament, the formal constitution of the full NRM Parliamentary Caucus, submission of expressions of interest by eligible Members of Parliament, and the convening of the caucus to nominate the party’s official candidates.
“These steps are essential safeguards designed to ensure that leadership selection within the Movement reflects the participatory and institutional work ethic of the NRM revolution,” the letter states.
The cadres also referenced Uganda’s constitutional and historical governance framework, including the NRM’s Ten-Point Programme and the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, which emphasize democratic participation and accountable leadership.
They appealed to the NRM leadership to ensure that the process is handled in accordance with the party constitution and democratic principles.
“It is therefore our humble appeal that the process concerning the identification of NRM candidates for the offices of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 12th Parliament be revisited to ensure full adherence to the Movement’s established procedures,” the petitioners said.
The letter was signed by eleven leaders on behalf of concerned members of the NRM and copied to several senior party officials, including the NRM Secretary General, the chairperson of the NRM Electoral Commission, the party’s director of legal services and all members of the Central Executive Committee.
The NRM leadership had not issued an official response to the concerns by press time.
