Entrepreneurs endorse Mukesh Shukla for NRM CEC position

16 August 2025, 6:08 pm

By Ronald Ssemagonja

The Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), the ruling party’s top decision-making body, is set to be constituted during the forthcoming delegates’ conference scheduled for 26 August 2025 at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds in Kampala. According to NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson Dr Tanga Odoi and Party Secretary-General Richard Twodong, over 20,000 delegates from across the country are expected to attend the event.

Ahead of the conference, a group of entrepreneurs led by Jackson Ahabwe in Kampala have rallied support for businessman Mukesh Shukla, popularly known as Shumuk, urging delegates to elect him to the party’s CEC. Ahabwe said Shukla has made a significant contribution to the business community and deserves an opportunity to represent entrepreneurs at the party’s highest decision-making level.

“We know there are other party members vying for this position, but we request that the delegates at Kololo give Mr Mukesh Shukla a chance. We are optimistic that he will improve the wellbeing of entrepreneurs because of his strong manifesto,” Ahabwe stated. He emphasised that the position requires someone with extensive business experience, noting that Shukla’s investments have created employment and helped reduce unemployment and crime in the country.

Entrepreneur Anita Najjemba, a fruit dealer, also endorsed Shukla, saying his decades of experience make him the right candidate. “Mr Mukesh has seen it all and deserves this opportunity to serve on the CEC to benefit us. I believe that once he is given this responsibility, he will achieve a lot for the business community,” she said.

Mukesh Shukla is a businessman, entrepreneur, and politician, widely regarded as one of Uganda’s wealthiest individuals. He is the Chief Executive Officer of the Shumuk Group, a conglomerate established in 1984 with Shumuk Aluminium Industries, which manufactures aluminium utensils and related products, employing more than 1,500 people directly and indirectly. Born in the 1950s to a former Uganda Revenue Authority officer, Shukla ventured into politics in 2021 when he contested for the Nakawa West parliamentary seat but lost to the current Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi.

Over the years, the Shumuk Group has diversified into multiple sectors, cementing Shukla’s position as one of Uganda’s most prominent business figures.