President Yoweri Museveni has condemned the irregularities that tainted last Thursday’s National Resistance Movement (NRM) party primaries, warning that those responsible will face tough consequences.
In a detailed message to NRM supporters following the elections, Museveni—who also serves as the party’s national chairperson—expressed deep concern over what he termed “unpatriotic actors” accused of undermining the party’s internal democracy. These individuals allegedly manipulated results, tampered with voter registers, bribed voters, and used violence to influence outcomes.
“These actions are both politically and ideologically wrong. They must be condemned by all who love the NRM and Uganda,” Museveni stated.
He revealed that 9.22 million party members participated in the primaries—a turnout he praised, especially given that the vote was held on a working day. However, this figure represents only half of the confirmed 18.5 million NRM members.
Museveni highlighted several key concerns: the altering of election results even with the transparent lining-up voting method; voter registers that remained suspiciously inflated despite a clean-up conducted on 6 May 2025; and the use of violence in some areas, which resulted in injuries and loss of life. He also condemned the bribery of voters with money and materials.
The president ordered the immediate prosecution of individuals who manipulated results in broad daylight, warning that in the lining-up voting system, entire villages are aware of who voted for whom—making any tampering highly visible and easy to track.
“If you altered the results, we are coming for you. It’s not only the registrar who knows how each village voted,” Museveni warned.
He also vowed to take action against those behind violent incidents during the primaries, many of which were witnessed by local residents. He called for an investigation into the involvement of security forces—questioning whether the violence was caused by security mistakes or instigated by hired thugs sponsored by desperate political actors.
In addition, Museveni raised concern over the integrity of the voter registers, noting that despite previous verification efforts, irregularities still surfaced on voting day.
Looking beyond the primaries, the president reminded party members that the purpose of electing leaders is to address the needs and challenges of the people. He called on all NRM supporters to uphold the values of fairness, transparency, and patriotism as the party prepares for the 2026 general elections.
