Wakiso, Uganda – The race for top positions within National Resistance Movement (NRM) Central Executive Committee (CEC) has taken a sharp turn, as First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga launched a scathing critique of NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson Dr. Tanga Odoi and her main challenger, Speaker of Parliament Anita Among.
While addressing NRM leaders and supporters in Wakiso District ahead of the party’s much-anticipated CEC elections later this month, Kadaga declared that she has no confidence in Tanga Odoi’s ability to preside over a free and fair electoral process.
She further announced plans to petition President Yoweri Museveni also the party chairman to have Odoi excluded from managing the internal elections.
“It is time to restore integrity in our party processes. Dr. Tanga Odoi has demonstrated bias and high-handedness in previous primaries. I am preparing to formally ask the chairman to appoint a more neutral overseer for this critical election,” Kadaga told attendees at the meeting.
Kadaga, who is seeking re-election as NRM’s Second National Vice Chairperson (Female), also took direct aim at her rival, Rt. Hon. Anita Among, the current Speaker of Parliament.
She questioned Among’s suitability for a high-ranking party role, citing international sanctions imposed on the Speaker by the United Kingdom and United States, over alleged human rights violations and corruption.
“How can someone who cannot travel freely abroad represent Uganda or NRM in international fora? These sanctions are not just symbolic they come with serious diplomatic consequences,” Kadaga stated.
Her remarks appeared to reflect growing internal discomfort within the NRM regarding Among’s controversial political standing and the potential international embarrassment her promotion could cause.
In 2024, the UK and US governments placed travel and financial restrictions on Speaker Among and several Ugandan officials, citing alleged involvement in state-sanctioned abuses, including misuse of public funds and targeting of political opponents.
Among, however, has dismissed the sanctions, calling them neo-colonial interference, and has so far retained both her role in Parliament and rising influence in NRM structures.
This latest episode underscores growing rivalries and factionalism within NRM as it prepares for 2026 general elections. The CEC, often described as the party’s power core, determines strategic decisions, endorsements, and political direction.
Elections to these positions are therefore hotly contested and closely watched.
With President Museveni still at the helm, several senior party figures are pushing for positioning and influence fueling both generational and ideological clashes.
“Kadaga’s statements reveal deep cracks in the NRM’s top structure. The party risks fragmentation if these tensions are not managed ahead of the national polls,” noted political analyst Dr. Daniel Kalumba of Makerere University.
NRM CEC elections are slated for later this month, with delegates from across the country expected to vote on key leadership positions, including the National Vice Chairpersons for each regionc, the Second Vice Chairperson (Female), the Treasurer and Deputy Secretary General
Kadaga’s petition to the President may influence how the party manages its internal electoral commission in the coming days. However, no formal statement has yet been issued by Dr. Tanga Odoi or Anita Among in response to Kadaga’s remarks.
While some NRM supporters hailed Kadaga’s courage in demanding accountability and transparency, others accused her of being divisive at a crucial time for party unity.
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