KAMPALA, Uganda: The National Resistance Movement Revolutionary Network (NRN), a pressure group within the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), has petitioned Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the party’s National Chairman, raising concerns about the procedure used to identify the NRM’s candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 12th Parliament.
In a letter dated March 9, 2026, the group questioned the reported endorsement of the incumbent Speaker and Deputy Speaker as the party’s preferred candidates for the same positions in the upcoming Parliament. The group argues that the move may have bypassed established party procedures.
The cadres emphasize that their concerns are not directed at the individuals currently holding the offices, but rather at the integrity of the selection process. They cite the party’s Ten-Point Programme and the Constitution of Uganda, both of which emphasize democratic participation and accountable leadership.
They also refer to the NRM Parliamentary Caucus Rules of Procedure (2014), which require expressions of interest to be submitted to the NRM Electoral Commission, followed by consideration by the Central Executive Committee, and eventual nomination through the Parliamentary Caucus.
According to the petitioners, the reported endorsement may have taken place before key stages were completed, including the gazettement of Special Interest Group representatives and the formal constitution of the full NRM Parliamentary Caucus.
The signatories to the petition including Ivan Mwijukye, Jude Mugagga, Samuel Lukanga, and Violet Nassaka, say revisiting the process would reinforce transparency while maintaining their loyalty to the party leadership.
