The Secretary General of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), Richard Todwong, has reaffirmed the ruling party’s confidence in President Museveni, describing him as mentally and physically strong to continue leading the country.
While appearing on NBS Television’s Morning Breeze political talk show, Todwong dismissed concerns over the President’s health and capacity, insisting that Ugandans will ultimately decide who they want to lead them in the next five years.
“At NRM, we are comfortable with President Museveni. He is mentally and physically strong. Let the Ugandans decide who they want to be their president,” Todwong stated.
The NRM Secretary General also cautioned party members against running as independents, a trend he said weakened the party in the 2021 elections. He explained that in several constituencies, NRM-leaning independents split the vote, costing the party seats.
“We need to teach Ugandans to embrace Multipartism. It’s not about you as an individual and your interests; it’s about the party. Our performance in 2021 was affected because of internal differences, especially where many independents emerged from within our ranks,” he noted.
On the opposition, Todwong downplayed claims of rivalry between NRM and the National Unity Platform (NUP), following reports of over 1,200 NUP members defecting to the ruling party. He stressed that the defections should not be viewed as a contest between the two political formations.
“There is no showdown. A showdown would mean NUP can measure against NRM. Right now, they can’t match us. What we are doing is grooming those who join us to learn how political parties are run. This isn’t a showdown,” Todwong emphasised.
He further argued that even if opposition groups united, they would still struggle to field candidates in all electoral positions across the country, unlike the NRM which has built a nationwide structure over the years.
Todwong’s remarks highlight the ruling party’s strategy to consolidate its base by addressing internal divisions while simultaneously projecting confidence in President Museveni’s continued leadership.
