NRM’s Joint Campaign Strategy: A Step Toward Unity or a Path to Confusion Ahead of 2026?

By Sam Ibanda Mugabi | Monday, June 9, 2025
NRM’s Joint Campaign Strategy: A Step Toward Unity or a Path to Confusion Ahead of 2026?
As Uganda edges closer to the 2026 general elections, the ruling NRM is banking on joint campaigns to tame internal divisions and election violence. But party insiders and analysts are divided over whether the strategy will unify or fragment the party further.

The National Resistance Movement (NRM) has embraced a strategy of joint campaigns ahead of the 2026 general elections, positioning it as a unifying tool meant to curb the chaos and violence that have marred its internal elections in the past.

According to party officials, the approach marks a deliberate shift from isolated, rival-driven primaries to a collective strategy aimed at promoting party discipline, cohesion and sustained grassroots engagement.

Speaking recently, NRM Deputy Secretary General Rose Namayanja Nsereko said the secretariat had revamped its operational approach.

“We have changed the way we operate as a secretariat. The notion that NRM only comes to the ground during elections is no more,” she said.

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Namayanja also highlighted that internal divisions, especially between senior organs of the party, were being addressed.

“There is no division between the Secretary-General and the NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson as it used to be. We now operate as a unified team,” she said.

If properly executed, the strategy of joint campaigning could have significant advantages:

  • Reduced Election Violence: Past NRM primaries have been marred by clashes, rigging claims and intimidation. Joint campaigns could lower intra-party tensions.
  • Party Cohesion: A collective campaign approach may foster camaraderie among candidates and supporters, presenting a more united NRM front to the public.
  • Stronger Electoral Outcomes: With a unified message and collaborative ground strategy, candidates may improve their chances of winning.

However, critics within and outside the party remain skeptical. Some argue that joint campaigns may gloss over underlying rivalries, fail to resolve local grievances, or even lead to confusion over candidate identity and individual accountability.

Analysts also point out that without clear guidelines and enforcement mechanisms, the initiative could turn chaotic, especially in regions where the party is deeply factionalised.

“Unity doesn’t come from slogans; it comes from deliberate resolution of grievances and transparent structures,” one NRM insider said anonymously.

President Yoweri Museveni, while speaking on internal party discipline recently, reiterated that “The NRM is the only party that can build and sustain peace.”

Whether joint campaigns will help actualise that vision or simply mask unresolved tensions remains to be seen.

With the political tempo rising and nominations on the horizon, the NRM's joint campaign model faces a real-time test: will it bridge internal cracks or expose deeper fault lines?

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