The National Resistance Movement (NRM) has announced plans to repeat Local Council One (LC1) primary elections in selected areas following reports of irregularities during the nationwide polls conducted on May 6, 2025.
This move aims to uphold transparency and restore credibility in the party’s internal electoral process as it prepares to nominate flag bearers for LC1 chairperson positions and village-level structures ahead of the 2026 general elections.
According to the NRM Electoral Commission, elections were not conducted in 410 of the country’s 72,000 villages due to various disruptions.
The setbacks were largely attributed to interference by Members of Parliament and Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), as well as adverse weather conditions, including heavy rains in some regions.
NRM Secretary General, Rt. Hon. Richard Todwong, confirmed the decision in an official statement, pledging a thorough investigation into the reported irregularities.
“We are firmly committed to ensuring a fair and transparent process,” Todwong stated. “In areas where irregularities have been verified, we will conduct fresh elections to safeguard the integrity of our primaries.”
One of the most notable incidents occurred in Kati Kati East Cell, Alokolum Parish, Bardege-Layibi Division in Gulu City. According to David Nyeko, the NRM Registrar for Gulu City, the LC1 election there was conducted three times, with each round marred by allegations of illegal voting and disputes over the outcome. This led to the suspension of the election in the area.
Additionally, in Entebbe Municipality, NRM leaders reported disruptions to the voting process in several of the 24 villages due to missing names in the voter register. The affected areas span across the municipality’s four wards: Kigungu, Kawafu, Central, and Katabi.
Similarly, in Purongo Town Council, Nwoya District, several eligible voters were unable to cast their ballots due to omissions in the voter register and complications with voter transfers to preferred polling stations.
He emphasized that the party’s Electoral Commission is currently compiling a list of the affected areas and will soon release a schedule for the repeat elections.
“Our goal is to ensure that every eligible member has the opportunity to participate in selecting credible leaders,” Todwong stated.
Todwong reported that, despite some challenges, the NRM primary elections ran smoothly in most regions, with 2.2 million grassroots leaders successfully elected on Tuesday.
He also announced that the NRM is preparing for the upcoming parish and sub-county elections.
While some regions successfully held elections, others were suspended. Notably, the Rubirizi District elections were postponed by the NRM National Chairperson to avoid clashing with a significant market day, ensuring better voter turnout.
The Electoral Commission recently released the 2025/2026 general election roadmap, scheduling nominations for parliamentary and presidential elections from September 16 to October 3, 2025. Campaigning will begin in mid-October, with presidential and parliamentary polling set for January 12, 2026.
