By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
MBALE
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the national chairman of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and the party’s presidential candidate, has said that party members who lost in the primaries but are contesting as independents, are self-seekers with no clear political ideology.
Museveni said the independents risk weakening the party by splitting votes, which may cost the NRM several constituencies in the 2026 general elections.
“It is wrong, politically, for these independents to insist, because suppose we lose the constituency because of you?” Museveni said.
The President made the remarks during a radio talk show on national issues at State Lodge Mbale on Friday night. He cautioned that running against officially endorsed NRM flag bearers was creating unnecessary internal conflict and pushing the party toward turmoil.
“The independents are in danger of causing the loss of these constituencies,” he warned.
Museveni accused some independents of focusing on personal gain such as getting political jobs rather than the seven core principles outlined in the NRM manifesto for 2026–2031. He said this selfishness fuels disputes and opens space for opposition candidates, whom he termed disruptors, to take advantage.
“Now if I get one of my colleagues who believes in the same, why should I fight him? The one who doesn’t believe in what I believe in is the one I should fight with,” Museveni said, adding that internal disagreements arise when individuals focus on personal ambitions instead of party ideology.
The President noted that the party provided a tribunal through which aggrieved primary losers could seek redress, but many failed to present evidence to support their claims.
“If you have evidence that some people cheated, why don’t you bring it? We can even use the criminal law if somebody altered the results. But many of them don’t have that evidence,” he said.
Museveni acknowledged that the law makes it difficult to ban independent candidates but said the party was engaging them to step down in favour of flag bearers.
“So we are using political arguments to persuade them… If you don’t have evidence, why don’t you wait for another chance?” he said.
