KAMPALA, Uganda — President Yoweri Museveni has issued a strong condemnation of widespread irregularities reported during the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party primaries held on July 17, 2025, promising severe consequences for those found culpable.
In a comprehensive post-election message to NRM members, President Museveni expressed deep concern over what he termed “unpatriotic actors” who allegedly undermined the party’s democratic process through various illicit means, including result manipulation, register tampering, voter bribery, and acts of violence.
“These are politically and ideologically wrong and must be condemned by all lovers of the NRM and Uganda,” President Museveni declared. He highlighted the commendable participation of 9.22 million members in the primaries, noting this significant turnout occurred mid-week on a working day. However, he also pointed out that this figure represents approximately 50% of the confirmed 18.5 million NRM members.
Among the most critical issues identified by President Museveni were the alteration of election results, despite the transparency inherent in the “lining up behind candidates” voting method; the tampering with voter registers, some of which appeared inflated despite a previous cleanup on May 6, 2025; instances of violence in certain areas, resulting in injuries and even fatalities; and the illicit use of money and materials to bribe voters.
President Museveni has explicitly ordered the prosecution of all individuals implicated in these electoral malpractices, with a particular focus on those who visibly tampered with results. He emphasized that the entire village would have been aware of individual votes due to the lining-up process, making result alterations both apparent and traceable.
“It is not only the registrar that knows the results village by village. If you altered the results, we are coming for you,” he warned.
Furthermore, the President stated that those responsible for the violence would also be pursued, especially given the public nature of many such incidents. He called for a thorough investigation into the involvement of soldiers and police officers, questioning whether any incidents were due to errors by security personnel or were provocations orchestrated by hired goons linked to “bankrupt political actors.”
He also mandated scrutiny of the voter registers, noting that despite prior verification efforts, irregularities were still uncovered after the voting process. Beyond the immediate concerns of the primaries, President Museveni reminded party members that the fundamental purpose of electing leaders is to solve the populace’s problems—a process he referred to as kukyenuura.
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He cited various government achievements as examples of problem-solving, including the eradication of polio and measles through immunization, the end of essential commodity shortages due to liberalization, the resolution of Uganda’s refugee crisis through reconciliation, and the improvement of livelihoods through wealth creation initiatives like the Parish Development Model (PDM).
President Museveni underscored that only leaders and parties capable of effectively implementing government programs to address the people’s challenges truly merit support.
“The purpose of electing leaders is to rationally choose those who can solve the solvable problems of the Wanainchi,” he asserted. Despite the reported challenges, President Museveni concluded on an optimistic note, observing that the voting process proceeded smoothly in numerous parts of the country.
