Senior Reporter
A group of candidates who contested and lost in the 2020 National Resistance Movement (NRM) party elections in the Kigezi sub-region have expressed dissatisfaction with the recently completed party register update.
Gathering for a press briefing at the White Horse Inn in Kabale District, the group criticized the organization and execution of the exercise, expressing concerns that similar challenges experienced in previous primaries might resurface next year if not addressed properly.
Innocent Rwakiseeta, a former aspirant from Rubanda West constituency in Rubanda district, expressed surprise upon discovering that registrations in Rubanda district were conducted without using the existing NRM register to update members’ credentials.
Izidol Tumusiime, a former contestant from Bukimbiri County, Kisoro district, emphasized the lack of adequate sensitization for the exercise, resulting in many potential members missing out on registration.
During the press conference, Rtd. Lt Moses Mugisha Magufuli, the National Coordinator for Transformer Cadre Association Uganda, representing former NRM primary election losers nationwide, criticized the Party’s central executive committee (CEC) for launching the register update activity without consulting disgruntled members.
However, Henry Musasizi, the State Minister for Finance in charge of General Duties and the NRM chairperson for Rubanda district, explained that some districts, including Rubanda, had to create new registers due to the secretariat’s failure to provide old registers for most new districts.
The nationwide register update by the NRM concluded on Sunday, March 17, after a five-day exercise. Richard Todwong, the party Secretary-General, acknowledged the challenges faced in some districts and assured that they would be promptly addressed.
