NATIONAL
In a dramatic and unexpected turn at the ongoing National Resistance Movement (NRM) delegates conference, Capt. Mike Mukula has officially withdrawn his candidacy for the position of National Vice Chairman (Eastern Region), citing widespread corruption and voter bribery within the campaign process.
Mukula, a veteran politician and long-serving NRM leader in Eastern Uganda, was contesting against Ecodu David Calvin. In a strongly worded statement, Mukula accused his opponent’s camp of “splashing at least one million shillings to each delegate,” alleging that the race had been compromised by reckless spending and unethical practices.
“To participate under such circumstances would be to legitimize an illegality and to endorse practices that I fundamentally oppose,” Mukula declared. “I therefore choose principle over expediency, conscience over convenience, and integrity over position.”
Mukula emphasized that his decision was made after “careful reflection and sober consideration,” and reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to the NRM and its founding values. He warned that the commercialization of internal elections threatens to erode the moral fabric of the party and undermine its democratic processes.
His withdrawal has sparked debate within party circles, with some praising his stance as a bold act of political maturity, while others view it as a sign of deepening divisions within the NRM’s leadership structures.
Mukula called on the party’s top organs including the Chairman, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the Central Executive Committee (CEC), and the Electoral Commission to urgently address the alleged irregularities and restore integrity to the party’s internal elections.
NRM insiders say Mukula’s exit from the race could shift the dynamics of Eastern Uganda’s political landscape, where he has long been a dominant figure. Despite stepping down from the contest, Mukula pledged to continue serving the people of Uganda, guided by “patriotism, integrity, and service above self.”
As the NRM grapples with growing scrutiny over its internal electoral practices, Mukula’s withdrawal may serve as a wake-up call for reform or deepen the rifts within the party’s ranks.
