President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has congratulated members of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party upon successfully participating in last week’s party primaries, while issuing a stern warning against those who tainted the process through acts of violence, bribery, and vote manipulation.
In a statement released on Monday, President Museveni revealed that an estimated 9.22 million NRM members took part in the July 17th 2025 primaries, representing nearly 50% of the party’s registered membership, which he said currently stands at 18.5 million. The President praised the strong turnout, especially considering the primaries were held mid-week on a working day.
“This is not bad. Congratulations,” President Museveni said, addressing particularly the party’s youth supporters, whom he often refers to as the Bazzukulu (grandchildren).
However, the President expressed deep concern over reports of electoral malpractice in some areas. He listed allegations that have reached him, including: altering election results, tampering with NRM registers, violence, including incidents that resulted in injuries and deaths and bribery of voters with money and materials.
“These actions are politically and ideologically wrong and must be condemned by all the lovers of the NRM and Uganda,” Museveni emphasized.
The President reminded party members of the core purpose of electing leaders: to ensure government programs reach the people and solve their everyday problems — a principle he called “kukyenuura” (solving solvable problems). He compared solvable challenges to uncombed hair due to lack of a comb, versus permanent realities like baldness, which he humorously related to himself.
“The purpose of electing leaders is to rationally choose leaders and a party that can solve our solvable problems,” Museveni reiterated. “Why then tolerate violence, cheating and corruption?”
He went on to highlight successes where NRM programmes have delivered tangible improvements in people’s lives, citing security, health (immunization), economic liberalization, transportation, resettlement of refugees, and wealth creation initiatives like the Parish Development Model (PDM) and agricultural transformation in Masaka, Kalangala, and Bundibugyo.
“These are government (NRM) programmes that solve people’s problems when properly implemented. The leaders we need are those who do precisely this,” he said.
Turning to accountability, Museveni assured NRM supporters that those who tampered with the electoral process would face prosecution. He pointed out that the use of lining up behind candidates or their portraits during voting made it easy to verify results at the village level.
“If you altered the results, we are coming for you,” the President warned. He further noted that those involved in violence and register tampering would also be pursued, and where security personnel are implicated, investigations will determine whether it was indiscipline or provocation by wrongdoers.
“Do not be provoked. We shall get the culprits,” Museveni reassured.
Museveni acknowledged that despite these challenges, the NRM primaries were largely successful across the country. He thanked members for their resilience and reaffirmed the party’s commitment to protecting the integrity of Uganda’s democratic processes.
