The National Resistance Movement (NRM) headquarters in Kampala was a hive of activity on Monday, June 2, 2025, as the party officially launched the nomination process for aspirants seeking to contest in the upcoming internal primaries.
Enthusiastic party members and leaders from across Uganda flocked to the party secretariat to pick nomination forms for various positions, including Constituency Members of Parliament (MPs), District Woman MPs, LC V Chairpersons, and Special Interest Group (SIG) representatives.
Vice President and Katakwi District Woman MP Jessica Alupo was the first to arrive at the secretariat, showing up at 8am to pick forms as she seeks to retain her seat.
Her early presence set the tone for a brisk day that saw a surge of aspirants lining up for the same exercise.
By the close of business, 795 aspirants had picked nomination forms, marking a strong start to this critical phase of the NRM’s internal election process.
According to figures from the NRM Electoral Commission, 427 aspirants collected forms to contest as Constituency MPs, 210 for Woman MP slots, and 144 for LC V Chairperson positions.
In the Special Interest Group categories, 14 aspirants picked nomination forms — including three for Workers MP, two for Persons with Disabilities, six for Older Persons, and three for Youth MP.
Speaker of Parliament and Bukedea District Woman MP, Annet Anita Among, was among the high-profile figures who collected nomination forms, seeking to retain her position as the party’s flag bearer in Bukedea.
The NRM Electoral Commission praised the smooth conduct of the exercise and noted the high turnout on the first day. Officials expressed optimism that the numbers would continue to grow.
“The turnout has been excellent. The process is very active and competitive — we expect the numbers to keep growing,” said one official from the Commission.
Sub-regions with the highest number of aspirants included Ankole with 86, Busoga 66, Rwenzori 61, West Nile 56, Teso 55, and Greater Masaka with 49.
The ongoing nomination exercise is part of the wider NRM grassroots election roadmap that began on May 6, 2025, with the election of village-level leaders.
The process has now entered a pivotal stage: the selection of parliamentary and district-level flag bearers ahead of the July 16 party primaries.
NRM Electoral Commission officials say the surge in interest reflects the party’s continued dominance in Uganda’s political landscape.
“The high number of people turning up to express interest in representing the NRM at different levels shows that the party remains a mass movement with national appeal,” an NRM EC official remarked.
The nomination exercise will continue on Tuesday.