The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) is facing fresh internal criticism over allegations of inflating its party registers. This follows the Kawempe North by-election, where the party claimed to have over 200,000 registered supporters, yet only a fraction turned up to vote for its candidate, Faridah Nambi, who ultimately lost to the National Unity Platform’s Elias Nalukoola.
NRM has long dominated Uganda’s political scene, but recent by-elections suggest a disconnect between its claimed support base and actual voter turnout.
In Kawempe North, despite listing 200,000 supporters, fewer than 10,000 people turned up to vote for its candidate. A similar trend has been observed in other key by-elections:
Kayunga District – Voter turnout remained below 50%, raising questions about NRM’s grassroots support.
Soroti East – Despite heavy deployment of resources and campaign efforts, the party struggled to secure a decisive victory.
This pattern has led some party insiders to question whether the NRM’s official registers are exaggerated and fail to reflect actual support on the ground.
“The numbers just don’t add up. If we really had all these supporters, why aren’t they showing up at the ballot box?” asked John Musila, a senior NRM member.
Political analysts argue that inflated registers could indicate either a flawed internal system or dwindling support.
“NRM must confront the reality that its grassroots support is weaker than it claims. When you move around Kampala, most of the people in the registers have changed location but they are still reflected in those registers,” says political commentator Francis Babu. “These inflated figures create a false sense of security, which could be dangerous as we approach 2026.”
Some NRM officials, however, dismiss these allegations, blaming external factors such as voter intimidation and political fatigue for the low turnout.
With the 2026 general elections fast approaching, concerns over voter turnout and party credibility could force the NRM to reassess its internal strategies.
The big question now is whether the ruling party will acknowledge and address these issues or risk further alienating its supporters.
“Kawempe may have been a small by-election, but its implications for the ruling party are significant,” Babu warns. “If NRM does not rebuild confidence among its base, we could see even bigger losses in 2026.”
The coming months will determine whether NRM will reform its internal systems or continue to face skepticism from both members and voters.