NRM members raise concerns over speaker selection process

11 March 2026, 5:57 pm

By Musaazi Richard

A group of cadres affiliated with the NRM Revolutionary Network (NRN) has petitioned Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the National Chairman of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), seeking a review of the procedure used to identify the party’s candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 12th Parliament.

In a letter dated March 9, 2026, and received at the NRM Secretariat, the group expressed concern over reports that the incumbent Speaker and Deputy Speaker were endorsed as the party’s official candidates through a communication issued on February 8, 2026.

The cadres say their concerns are not directed at the personalities currently holding the positions, but rather at the manner in which the process of identifying candidates was handled.

According to the letter, the endorsement appears to have been made before several key stages required under the party’s procedures had been completed. These include the gazettement of Special Interest Group representatives to Parliament, the formal constitution of the NRM Parliamentary Caucus, submission of expressions of interest by eligible Members of Parliament, and the convening of the caucus to nominate and elect the party’s official candidates.

The group argues that these procedures are meant to safeguard transparency and ensure that leadership selection within the movement reflects its principles of participation and institutional order.

In the letter, the cadres also point out that since its formation, the NRM has emphasized democratic governance and structured processes in leadership selection. They reference the movement’s Ten-Point Programme and the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, which promote democratic participation, accountability, and equal opportunity in leadership.

They further cite the NRM Parliamentary Caucus Rules of Procedure (2014), which outline the mechanism for identifying party candidates for the offices of Speaker and Deputy Speaker, including submission of expressions of interest to the NRM Electoral Commission.

The group has therefore appealed to President Museveni to have the matter reviewed to ensure that the process adheres to the established rules and democratic principles of the movement.

According to the petitioners, revisiting the process would help reinforce confidence among party members and reaffirm the NRM’s commitment to transparent and orderly leadership processes.

The cadres also reiterated their loyalty to the National Resistance Movement and its founding ideals, noting that their intention is to strengthen the unity, credibility and institutional stability of the party.