Museveni to NRM MPs Who Lost Primaries: Do Not Stand as Independents
ARUA – October 14, 2025 – President Yoweri Museveni has issued a stern warning to National Resistance Movement (NRM) MPs who lost in the party’s recent primaries, strongly advising them against running as independent candidates in the forthcoming elections. He cautioned that such a move could split the party’s vote and lead to the loss of parliamentary seats to the opposition.
The President delivered this message during a meeting at State Lodge Arua with NRM and independent MPs who had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the ruling party. This gathering came after a number of party members who were defeated in the primaries declared their intention to run as independents.
“Where there are NRM and opposition candidates, I wouldn’t advise you to come as independent, because if you do and things go wrong, you will be the one to blame,” President Museveni stated.
He pointed to a painful lesson from the past, reminding the legislators, “In the last election, in Buganda, over 21 seats were lost because the NRM won but the votes were divided by the party candidates; the independents and the flagbearers.” He posed a pointed question to the aggrieved members: “How will you forgive yourself?” if their actions resulted in an opposition victory.
Legal Path Over Political Rebellion
Addressing claims from some MPs that they were cheated during the primaries through altered results, President Museveni outlined a legal alternative to launching an independent bid.
“If it was an electoral offense, why don’t you get me the facts… then we can act criminally against the people who were involved, and they end up in prison,” he said. “There’s a legal way you can go about it and crime has no time limit.”
However, he acknowledged that without solid evidence—such as in cases where their polling agents were compromised—the political fault lies with the candidate. “This issue of using mercenaries to be your agents is very risky. You should have people who are committed to your vision in your area,” he advised, suggesting that in such scenarios, it is better to withdraw and rebuild political capital.
Advice on the Economics of Politics
Beyond the immediate electoral concerns, the President also offered candid advice on the financial aspect of political life, urging members not to venture into politics while in poverty or to accrue massive campaign debts.
“You shouldn’t join politics when you are poor,” Museveni said, proposing instead that they leverage government-supported financial structures. “In your case, the government can inject more money in the parliamentary SACCOs, take a soft loan, build yourself economically… then when you are set, come back when you are financially stable.”
He emphasized, “You shouldn’t go into debt because of politics. In that way we can be able to build a very stable leadership in this country.”
The meeting was attended by high-ranking officials including the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, and members of the NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC).
