By Buyela Christopher, CEC Aspirant (Eastern Region).
Today, as I stood among fellow members of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) witnessing our leader, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, pick nomination forms at Plot 13 Kyadondo Road—the NRM Electoral Commission headquarters—I was filled with mixed emotions.
On the surface, it was a moment of celebration. Our revolutionary leader and party national chairman had officially declared his interest to continue steering the party and country forward come 2026.
But behind the applause and camera flashes, there was an undeniable truth that we must face as a party: many of the faces surrounding him were the same people who, until recently, wished him out.
Let us not forget the events of 2021. Several senior NRM officials openly or subtly began fronting the President’s son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, as the next leader.
This campaign was masked under the excuse that the President was too old, and that a generational transition was overdue. The silence of many leaders wasn’t neutral—it was strategic compliance in hopes of gaining favor with what they presumed to be the next power center.
Worse still, some members of our very own Central Executive Committee (CEC)—the top organ entrusted to guide our party—actively engaged in campaigns, both public and private, urging President Museveni to step aside.
These are leaders who ate from his hand, who grew under his mentorship, and who today shamelessly stand beside him as though they never doubted his legacy or ability.
This begs the question: what does loyalty mean in the NRM today?
To the youth, to grassroots mobilisers, and to all true cadres of the Movement, this is a moment of reflection. If 80% of the people seen standing with the President today once hoped for his departure, then as politicians we must learn to differentiate between those who are close to us and those who genuinely wish us well. Power attracts company, but not all company is loyal.
To the NRM leadership—this is not just about President Museveni. It’s a mirror to all of us. Have we allowed opportunism to overtake principle? Have we confused proximity to power with patriotism? If our party is to survive and remain relevant, we must return to truth, honesty, and loyalty as the foundation of leadership.
And to the President himself: Your Excellency, today is a reminder that not all who surround you wish you well. You have carried this nation and our party with strength, vision, and unmatched resilience.
But going forward, choose carefully those you entrust with the future. The Tova Ku Main campaign is more than a slogan—it is a call to action to preserve our values, clean our ranks, and walk with those who are with you in sunshine and in storm.
As a CEC contestant and devoted NRM cadre, I reaffirm my commitment to truth, loyalty, and ideological clarity. Our people are watching. Uganda is watching. Let us not fail them.
Buyela Christopher
Aspirant, NRM CEC Vice Chairperson – Eastern Uganda Mbale District
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