By Andrew Victor Mawanda Naimanye
Former Chief Spy and political commentator Charles Rwomushana has raised serious concerns about the credibility of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) electoral process, warning that the party risks setting a dangerous precedent by relying on post-election tribunals to resolve disputes.
Speaking during NBS Barometer on Tuesday night, Rwomushana criticised the party’s handling of its recent parliamentary primaries, suggesting that the ongoing disputes tribunal is only legitimising electoral malpractice.
“Going to a tribunal after NRM Primaries is essentially telling people: go ahead and rig, things will be fixed later at the tribunal,” Rwomushana said.
“That undermines the integrity of the entire process.”
His comments come as the NRM Elections Disputes Tribunal prepares to begin issuing rulings after concluding hearings in the majority of the over 380 election petitions filed by aggrieved party members.
The petitions stem from the party’s highly contested primaries, which were marred by allegations of voter bribery, intimidation, and ballot stuffing.
Rwomushana emphasised that relying on a tribunal to sort out what he described as widespread irregularities could erode public trust in the democratic process and foster a culture of impunity within the party.
Drawing a parallel to regional instability, he warned that Uganda must not take peace and stability for granted.
“Just next door in South Sudan, children are starving and several are losing their lives due to instability,” he said. “We must be conscious and avoid taking that path as a country.”
The former intelligence chief’s remarks add to the growing public scrutiny over the conduct of internal party elections within Uganda’s ruling party.
As the tribunal begins issuing decisions, eyes remain on whether the NRM leadership will use the moment to reform its internal electoral mechanisms or further entrench a system vulnerable to manipulation.