The East African Community Affairs Minister and Kamuli District Woman Member of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has openly criticized Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo, Chief of the Office of the National Chairman of the NRM (ONC), for allegedly collecting National Identity Cards (IDs) under the pretense of preparing for the 2026 general elections. Namyalo’s team reportedly claims that the IDs are being collected to identify individuals who will guard President Museveni’s votes during the elections.
Kadaga raised her concerns on Friday, October 4, 2024, while presiding over the launch and fundraising event for her “Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga (RAK) Education Initiative” at Nawanyago Primary School in Kamuli District. She responded to a complaint by the Nawanyago Town LC3 chairperson, who expressed unease about the collection of IDs by unknown individuals.
“I am concerned about reports that people are collecting National IDs under the guise of mobilizing for Museveni’s votes, yet we don’t know who they are or what exactly they are doing,” the LC3 chairperson noted.
Kadaga, a former Speaker of Parliament and First Deputy Prime Minister, expressed frustration at being kept in the dark, despite her leadership role within the NRM party. Reports indicate that officials from the ONC have been moving across the Busoga region, convening meetings and recruiting individuals to oversee President Museveni’s votes in 2026.
“I’ve heard that some people came to Kamuli, held meetings in the name of the NRM, and are even registering individuals for activities I’m not aware of. This is being done without my knowledge, despite the fact that I’m the National Vice Chairman of the NRM,” Kadaga said. “I am also the chairperson of the women’s leagues here in Kamuli. These people should know that we are the recognized leaders in this area, and the community knows us. They should consult us before engaging in such activities.”
Kadaga further criticized Namyalo, accusing her of overstepping her role. “Madam Namyalo needs to act with discipline. She is not the president, nor is she the head of the NRM. She’s merely a staff member in the party office. We have party structures, and they should be respected. These individuals need to behave properly and follow the correct channels,” she stated, instructing Kamuli RDC Ms. Rose Birungi to investigate the matter.
However, some NRM leaders in Kamuli have offered a different perspective, asserting that Namyalo’s team was working in collaboration with local party structures. According to these leaders, the recruitment of vote protectors was done under the guidance of district NRM officials.
“We had a meeting at Kamuli Township Primary School, attended by all Subcounty and parish NRM chairpersons. During that meeting, we were given guidelines on how to identify two individuals per village to serve as vote protectors,” explained a Subcounty NRM chairman from Kamuli Municipality.
“The district NRM Executive Committee (DEC), led by chairman Mr. Bamwole Samuel, was fully involved. The recruitment was done by us, the local NRM leaders, not Namyalo. If anyone has complaints, they should direct them at us, not her,” added Charles Magaya, chairman of Nambwigulu Subcounty.
“And for your information, we have not taken anyone’s ID. We only copied their NIN numbers to confirm we are dealing with voters and citizens of this country,” he added
The conflicting accounts from Kadaga and local NRM leaders suggest tensions within the party’s leadership over Namyalo’s activities in the Busoga region as preparations for the 2026 elections intensify.
