NRM EC accused of not funding joint campaign rallies ahead of primaries

Amos Tayebwa

Mbarara

According to the sources, Mbarara City is among the rest of areas in Western Uganda that have failed to hold joint Campaign rallies for the National Resistance Movement (NRM) contesting candidates due to lack of funds from the party secretariat to facilitate the activities.

The NRM Electoral commission had earlier suggested a joint campaign rally method among their members who are seeking for political positions in the forthcoming party primaries as one way of reducing violence and chaos during the electoral campaigns. However, it is alleged that the Secretariat and the commission have failed to release funding, leaving the District NRM Registrars and NRM leaders handcuffed and stuck towards the arrangement of the joint campaign rallies.

In some areas like Mbarara District, the District NRM Bosses engaged the candidates and suggested to them to raise some resources as support towards sponsoring the joint campaign rallies, unlike Mbarara City and other districts where candidates have rejected the proposal and opted to hold their campaigns on their own without following the party policy.

According to Kaweesi Sebuma, the Mbarara City NRM Registrar revealed that as Mbarara City, they have not conducted any joint campaign rally as it was initially suggested by the NRM electoral Commission due to lack of funds. He further revealed that also they have engaged the NRM candidates in Mbarara City to raise some funds to support the office of City registrar and the NRM Leaders to assist them to conduct the joint campaign rallies but most of the candidates trashed the idea.

“First and foremost, the joint campaign rally method is something that needs resources, initially the commission had committed to  save and pay for everything as far as joint campaign rally activities are concerned, but up to now we have not received any funds. So far as Mbarara City, we have had two meetings with the candidates from Mbarara City and told them that we have not received the funding. We held meetings with them and asked them to contribute some money to help us arrange and carry out joint campaigns for them, however most of them refused,” said Kaweesi, the Mbarara City NRM Registrar.

“But we also found out that the rich candidates, especially the incumbents were not able to raise their money and not interested in joint campaigns, whereas the poor candidates were interested in joint campaign rallies, this is something under fear and conflict of interest.  We therefore decided that as we wait for the funding, let every candidate go and do their own campaigns since we have failed to agree like other districts. But what we emphasize on is peaceful campaigns,” he added.

 Mbarara District, Shema District are among the areas in Western Uganda where candidates were assembled for joint campaign rallies. This signifies anticipation of  violence and chaos in the forthcoming elections slated 17th July 2025 if the NRM Party secretariat and NRM Electoral commission do not fill the gaps.

“We paid our money for nominations hoping that the party will be in position to carry out such activities like joint campaign rallies and conducts free and fair elections, but now you wonder that they have even failed to conduct this single exercise, what will happen during elections,” one of the candidates wondered.