President Museveni of Uganda has commended the National Resistance Movement (NRM) for undertaking a thorough clean-up of its membership database, which revealed millions of discrepancies within its voter register. Despite the revelation that the party's membership was previously overstated at 17 million, it has now been corrected to approximately 11.4 million members.
During the partial unveiling of the party's roadmap at its secretariat in Kampala ahead of the 2026 General Election, President Museveni, who also serves as the National Resistance Movement chairperson, expressed his satisfaction with the cleanup efforts. NRM party Secretary General Mr Richard Todwong disclosed that an internal audit discovered numerous duplications and suspected non-members within the database, leading to the adjustment of the membership count.
Mr Kenneth Kelvin Otto, one of the auditors, explained to President Yoweri Museveni that many entries lacked sufficient details for verification, including full names, National Identification Numbers (NIN), and other crucial information. As a result, these entries were removed from the database. However, the authenticated members, totaling 11.4 million, were meticulously documented with complete personal information such as full names, ID numbers, dates of birth, and phone numbers.
The President was notably impressed by the accuracy and completeness of the updated database, which indicated 5.8 million female and 5.3 million male members. Meanwhile, the National Resistance Movement announced plans to display its voters' register across 72,000 villages nationwide between March 13 and 17, marking the beginning of preparations for the upcoming 2026 general election.
Dr. Tanga Odoi, the party's elections chief, outlined the subsequent activities, including candidate nominations, campaigns, and elections at the village level. However, President Museveni raised a question regarding potential defections to the National Resistance Movement, humorously mentioning opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu, populary known as Bobi Wine and his party, the National Unity Platform (NUP).
In response, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni asserted his willingness to welcome individuals with a positive attitude towards the National Resistence Movement (NRM), citing examples like Minister Norbert Mao, Mr. Jimmy Akena and his wife Minister Hon. Betty Amongi. However, he cautioned against last-minute conversions and emphasized the importance of adhering to guidelines to prevent the infiltration of opposition elements into the party's primaries.
As Uganda gears up for the 2026 General Election, the NRM's meticulous cleanup of its membership database reflects a commitment to transparency and integrity within the ruling party, setting the stage for a more accurate and credible electoral process.
