Over the years, President Yoweri Museveni’s support in the Busoga region has continued to dwindle.
This has been largely attributed to unresolved internal bickering among NRM’s top leaders in the Busoga region.
In the first presidential election under the NRM in 1996, Museveni won more than 95% of the valid votes in the region. In 2001, Museveni’s score declined to 80.05%, a decline of 15% compared to his performance in 1996, and later dropped to 76.3% in the 2011 general election.
Apparently, internal fights within NRM in Busoga and failure by the ruling party to address the region’s problems provided an opportunity for the opposition to defeat NRM in 2021.
In 2021, Museveni won only three out of the eleven districts in the region. He took Buyende, Kaliro, and Namutumba districts but was beaten in Kamuli, Luuka, Iganga, Jinja, Bugweri, Bugiri, Namayingo, and Mayuge districts.
The January 2021 presidential elections produced some of the biggest surprises for President Museveni and his ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party in the last 25 years.
For the first time since his elective terms started in 1996, President Museveni lost his traditional stronghold of Busoga to the opposition. Museveni got 404,862 votes in the Busoga region in the 2021 elections, while Kyagulanyi received 437,059 votes.
Mr. Kyagulanyi, who was contesting for the presidency for the first time, beat Mr. Museveni, who was seeking re-election for the sixth time.
There have been several unresolved grievances that cost Museveni local support. While addressing party leaders from Kamuli and Buyende districts at the Youth Centre in Kamuli Municipality sometimes back, President Museveni called for unity among National Resistance Movement (NRM) leaders in the Busoga Sub-region, saying internal fights are not good for the future of the ruling party.
“I called for a reconciliation meeting of leaders from the Busoga Sub-region.” I reconciled some leaders, but I hear they are still fighting one another. You unite instead of dividing yourselves,” said Museveni.
The fights have been between Kadaga and Isaac Musumba, the former Minister for Regional Foreign Affairs from 2006 until 2011, Persis Namuganza, the State Minister for Lands, Late Kirunda Kivejinja, and many others.
While appearing on Kamuli Broadcasting Service radio, Kadaga said some leaders from the region resorted to fighting her. On the talk show, she said a lot of NRM leaders were working against her.
“I have disclosed how some Basoga leaders in government are fighting me. Recently, State Minister Moses Kizige, in cahoots with other leaders, wrote a 13-point litany of complaints to President Museveni,” said Kadaga.
The Busoga region has seen prominent NRM political leaders like Kirunda Kivejinja, Rebecca Kadaga, Luke Nakadama, Kasule Lumumba, Moses Kizige, Isaac Musumba, Persis Namuganza, Asuman Kiyingi, and many others, but has remained one of the poorest regions in the country due to internal political fights.
The unending internal fights have seen many NRM politicians support and fund opposition politicians. Isaac Musumba at one point reportedly backed his wife, Proscovia Salaamu Musumba (FDC), against Kadaga (NRM) for the Kamuli District Woman MP seat.
The constant fights have affected service delivery in the region, reduced NRM popularity, and led to NRM’s poor performance in the 2021 presidential elections. If these fights continue, the party will most likely perform poorly in the 2026 elections. The NRM leaders in the region need to resolve their issues and forge unity, which is very essential as we approach the 2026 elections.
