In a fiery and impassioned tweet, Barugahara Balaam Ateenyi—a key figure in Uganda’s ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM)—has issued a stark warning about the future of the party. Directly addressing President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the party’s National Chairman, Balaam expressed deep concern that the NRM is drifting away from its founding ideals, as wealthy individuals increasingly gain influence within its ranks.
A staunch loyalist of both the NRM and President Museveni, Balaam cautioned that the infiltration of money-driven politics threatens to erode the party’s ideological foundation—one built through decades of sacrifice and struggle. He urged the President to reassert full control over the party’s leadership, especially the Central Executive Committee (CEC), and to guard key appointments from being auctioned off to the highest bidder.
Balaam proposed a bold corrective measure: that President Museveni personally select CEC members, subject to approval by the National Delegates Conference. This, he argued, is the only way to shield the party from being hijacked by elites who prioritize wealth over principle.
> “The politics of money must be rejected,” Balaam declared. “Our votes must never be sold to the highest bidder.”
His statement has ignited widespread debate both online and within political corridors. With Uganda approaching another election cycle, Balaam’s message resonates with growing unease among citizens and party faithful alike—many of whom fear that NRM’s core values are being sidelined by opportunism and financial muscle.
Balaam’s appeal is more than a complaint—it’s a call to action. A call for the NRM to rediscover its roots, to remember the people’s struggle, and to resist becoming a playground for the powerful and the wealthy. Whether President Museveni will respond remains uncertain. But Balaam’s message rings loud: the soul of the NRM is at stake.
