KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda’s ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) says it has won nearly 95% of parish-level Women Council positions in elections held across the country, as the party prepares to select its candidate for the Adjumani West parliamentary by-election.
NRM Electoral Commission chairperson Tanga Odoi said on Tuesday that the party had secured 47,405 of the positions for which results had been compiled following the August 7 elections.
The figures, covering 135 of Uganda’s 146 districts, put NRM candidates at 94.5%, according to the party’s preliminary tally.
Independents, including candidates described by the party as NRM-leaning, won 1,688 positions, or 3.4%, while other political parties secured 389 positions, representing 0.7%. Results for a further 693 positions were still pending.
Odoi said he expected the NRM to retain its lead once the outstanding results were announced.
The figures were released by the party and were not presented as an independent tally by the Electoral Commission of Uganda.
He also said preliminary results from recent LCII chairperson elections showed NRM candidates winning about 85% of positions, although final figures were still being compiled.
The announcement comes as the NRM begins preparations for a by-election in Adjumani West following the death of the constituency’s long-serving MP, Gen. Moses Ali.
The party said its primary to choose a parliamentary flag bearer would be held on September 3.
Expressions of interest for the seat opened on August 10 at the NRM Secretariat in Kampala, with nominations scheduled for August 17 and 18.
The party plans to update and clean its voters’ register between August 20 and 31 before holding the primaries.
Candidates seeking the NRM ticket must be Ugandan citizens aged at least 18, registered NRM members and voters, and hold an Advanced Level certificate or an equivalent qualification.
Parliamentary aspirants will also be required to pay a non-refundable fee of 3 million Ugandan shillings ($810).
The party will also select a female councillor representing older persons in Pachara Sub-county, Adjumani District.
Expressions of interest for that position are scheduled for August 17 and 18, with a fee of 20,000 shillings.
The NRM said its sub-county Women Council primaries would be held nationwide on Wednesday, August 12.
Odoi said participation would be limited to eligible NRM members within the party’s established grassroots structures, including members of parish Women’s Committees and representatives of women with disabilities who meet the party’s requirements.
The primaries will be conducted by lining up behind candidates, according to the party.
Odoi also warned that non-Ugandan nationals would not be allowed to participate in the NRM electoral process.
The NRM, which has been in power since 1986 under President Yoweri Museveni, is using its grassroots elections to strengthen its structures ahead of Uganda’s wider electoral cycle.
The party’s manifesto for the 2026–2031 period is also being rolled out as it prepares for the next phase of national politics.
