The political heat in Namutumba has reached boiling point after State Minister for Housing, Hon. Princess Persis Namuganza, boldly threatened to quit the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) over what she called a stolen victory in the party primaries. Speaking openly at Namutumba Town Council headquarters on Saturday, Namuganza accused senior leaders in the NRM of interfering in the internal elections to push out genuine candidates and reward their personal allies.
In her fiery speech, Namuganza claimed the primaries were full of irregularities, including vote-rigging, intimidation of voters, and outright manipulation of results. She didn’t hold back, directly accusing Speaker of Parliament Anita Among and NRM Electoral Commission boss Dr. Tanga Odoi of leading a scheme to silence leaders from the Busoga region. According to her, these actions are dangerous and risk tearing apart the unity of the party while eroding public trust.
Namuganza insisted that Brenda Nakisita had rightfully won the Woman MP race and that she herself had won in Bukono, but both were robbed of victory through “backdoor deals.” She pointed a finger at local election officials and security forces, accusing them of obeying illegal orders from above rather than respecting the will of the people.
The announcement sparked outrage in Namutumba, where furious supporters poured into the streets to protest. Demonstrators blocked roads, burned NRM-branded T-shirts, and openly accused Registrar Mwanja Richard of being involved in the alleged vote fraud. The tension only got worse when Mwanja suddenly reversed the results for the Busiki seat—just a day after declaring Paul Akamba the winner, he changed and announced Waiswa Joel Azalwa as the NRM flagbearer. This move shocked many and fueled even more suspicion about what’s really happening inside the ruling party.
Namuganza didn’t stop there. She gave the NRM leadership a stern warning: if the party fails to clean up its mess, she may run as an independent or even consider joining another political party. She also threatened to boycott the upcoming LC5 primaries if the current electoral confusion is not fixed.
With the 2026 general elections fast approaching, Namuganza’s outburst has shaken the NRM to its core. Her words have exposed serious cracks in the party and raised questions about fairness, democracy, and leadership within its ranks. What happens next could define the future of the party — and of Ugandan politics.
