KAMPALA – The National Resistance Movement (NRM) is facing a potential political disaster in the capital as the candidacy of its designated Kampala Lord Mayoral flag bearer, Kaweesa Mahad, hangs in the balance. A bitter dispute involving serious allegations of academic forgery, voter bribery, and outright poll rigging has left party chairman Gen. Yoweri Museveni in a difficult position, with the party now at risk of entering the 2026 general elections without a candidate for the city’s top political seat.
The controversy erupted following the party’s primary elections, where Kaweesa was declared the winner. His victory is being fiercely contested by his rivals, Kizito Moses Nsubuga and Thadeus Musoke Nagenda, who have presented damning evidence to an internal party tribunal.
The challengers have accused Kaweesa of grossly manipulating the electoral process. They allege that he used undue influence to commandeer the announcement of results. According to the petitioners, the official declaration was supposed to be made at the NRM Electoral Commission offices in Kyadondo. However, they claim Kaweesa ordered officials to instead announce the results in Rubaga, a move they interpret as a blatant attempt to control the outcome and avoid scrutiny.
Even more damaging are the allegations regarding Kaweesa’s academic qualifications. His educational background has been described as “confusing” and potentially fraudulent. During a recent tribunal session convened to investigate the complaints, Kaweesa reportedly failed spectacularly to defend his supposed academic credentials.
A source who attended the session revealed that the mayoral candidate struggled to express himself in English and could not recall even three subjects he studied at either the primary or O-Level, raising serious doubts about the authenticity of the documents he presented to the Electoral Commission.
The allegations have placed the NRM headquarters in a bind. With proof of academic qualifications being a mandatory requirement for candidacy, the party is now forced to investigate its own flag bearer. If the allegations of forgery are substantiated, the party would have no choice but to disqualify him, leaving them without a candidate for the crucial Kampala race.
The converging claims of rigging, bribery, intimidation, and forgery have created a perfect storm for the ruling party, embarrassing its leadership and exposing deep divisions within its city structures. All eyes are now on Chairman Museveni and the NRM’s top leadership to see how they will navigate this crisis, which threatens to cede the capital to opposition forces by default.
As the tribunal continues its deliberations, the future of NRM’s bid for Kampala hangs in the balance.
