The National Resistance Movement (NRM) has intensified its final grassroots mobilization campaign in Ntungamo District ahead of Tuesday's Local Council I (LC1) elections, with party leaders declaring an ambitious target of making the district Uganda's best-performing NRM stronghold.
The push follows weeks of village barazas across the district's 1,033 villages and culminated in a meeting of NRM sub-county chairpersons and district leaders at the Ntungamo District Council Hall to assess the party's readiness for the polls.
According to party leaders, about 58 percent of the LC1 chairperson positions are already unopposed, while the remaining seats will be contested by NRM flag bearers, independent candidates and contestants from other political parties.
NRM Commissioner James Tweheyo said the party wants Ntungamo to improve on its performance in the last presidential election, when it delivered 92.5 percent of the vote for President Museveni, making it the second-best performing district nationally.
"I am here to ensure that Ntungamo takes the leading position in making sure that we have the highest number of NRM positions at LC1. We have called the district party leadership again to ensure that we get the best number of NRM flag bearers through. In the presidential election, Ntungamo was second in the whole country. This time we want to take the first position," Tweheyo said.
He said internal reconciliation had strengthened party unity ahead of the elections, with several aspirants who had planned to run as independents opting instead to support official NRM candidates.
"There is a lot of harmony now and a number of those who were independents have come back, put it off and said, 'Let's get going.' I have confirmed that all the resources given to our leaders reached the respective beneficiaries," he said.
The party says its confidence has also been boosted by the recent Women Council Committee elections, in which NRM candidates reportedly won about 90 percent of the available positions. Leaders believe the outcome demonstrates sustained grassroots support and have now set a target of winning up to 99 percent of the LC1 chairperson seats.
Ntungamo District LC5 Chairperson Samuel Rwakigoba said the focus is now on ensuring supporters turn up to vote.
"The purpose why we are here is to sit with the NRM chairpersons of the sub-counties, review our roadmap on how we are going to mobilize our people in the villages ahead of the LC1 elections so that we all go and vote. As NRM members, we want to make sure we vote for our flag bearers," Rwakigoba said.
NRM District Vice Chairperson Yona Musinguzi described the village elections as critical because LC1 chairpersons are the first point of contact for government service delivery.
"We are now focusing on the grassroots LC1 elections because all service delivery goes through the LC1 chairman level," Musinguzi said.
During the meeting, grassroots leaders appealed for increased financial support to facilitate mobilization efforts and requested an opportunity to meet President Museveni and First Lady Janet Museveni at State House to discuss party affairs.
Meanwhile, Ntungamo District Electoral Commission Returning Officer Honest Baguma said the commission was ready to conduct elections for all 1,033 LC1 chairperson positions.
He urged candidates, political parties, independent contestants and voters to maintain peace, adhere to electoral guidelines and report to polling stations early as the district prepares for the closely watched grassroots elections.
