The National Resistance Movement (NRM) has concluded the process of selecting and endorsing its flagbearers for the forthcoming Village Women Council and Local Council I (LC1) elections, with Secretary General Richard Todwong calling on party members to actively participate and rally support for the candidates.
Addressing journalists at the NRM Secretariat in Kampala, Todwong said the party had successfully conducted village barazas to identify and validate its flagbearers before endorsing their nomination forms on July 13 and 14.
The endorsed candidates have now been cleared to proceed with official nomination by the Electoral Commission.
Todwong urged party members to participate in the ongoing display of village voters’ registers by the Electoral Commission and verify that their details have been correctly captured.
He said nominations for LC1 chairperson and Village Women Council positions will take place between July 16 and 19, directing all NRM flag bearers to report to their respective sub-county headquarters with their endorsed nomination forms.
Ahead of the Village Women Council elections scheduled for July 23, Todwong announced that the party will conduct another round of village barazas on July 22 to mobilise support for its candidates.
He explained that the Village Women Council elections will produce leaders for five positions: chairperson, vice chairperson, treasurer, secretary, and secretary for publicity.
The elected village chairpersons will later participate in the election of women leaders at parish, sub-county, district, and national levels, forming a leadership structure that links grassroots communities to national representation.
On the LC1 elections slated for July 28, Todwong described the position of village chairperson as a cornerstone of Uganda’s decentralised governance system.
He said the Resistance Council system introduced by the NRM allowed communities to elect their own local leaders, replacing the previous arrangement where administrators were appointed centrally.
“The LC1 is the first level of leadership in the village. These leaders represent the people’s views, work with government to implement development programmes and help address community challenges. It is therefore important that Ugandans elect leaders who are honest, trusted and committed to serving their communities,” Todwong said.
He congratulated NRM flagbearers who emerged victorious in the party’s internal selection process, expressing confidence that the party would perform strongly in the upcoming elections.
“The NRM has completed its preparations. Our flag bearers are in place, our structures are ready, and we call upon all our members to turn up in large numbers, participate peacefully and support the party’s candidates,” he said.
