Top leaders of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) have intervened to calm down growing internal divisions in Buikwe District, warning that the escalating war of words could tear apart the party and weaken its support base in the area.
The Deputy NRM Chairperson for Buganda Region and Minister of State for Microfinance, Hajji Harunah Kyeyune Kasolo, convened a high-level meeting with party leaders at Nile Hotel in Njeru Municipality after receiving reports of widening rifts among members.
The meeting was attended by district and sub-county NRM chairpersons, mayors, councillors, and parliamentary flag bearers. However, the District Woman MP and Minister of State in the Office of the Vice President, Diana Kagyenyi Nankunda Mutasingwa, who is at the centre of the controversy, did not attend.
The NRM District Chairperson, Charles Kalangwa, told Minister Kasolo that internal conflicts had eroded the party’s unity, allowing the opposition to gain ground. He accused Minister Mutasingwa of leading a faction that works against official party flag bearers, saying this behaviour had emboldened the opposition in Buikwe.
“Some members who won NRM primaries have abandoned the party line and now support opposition candidates,” Kalangwa said. “This has weakened support for the President and the NRM in general.”
Former Lugazi Municipality MP Isaac Mulindwa Ssozi backed these claims, alleging that Minister Mutasingwa supported rival candidates during the 2021 primaries. “In 2016, Buikwe was all NRM, but now three constituencies are in opposition hands,” Mulindwa warned. “If we do not reconcile, we risk losing even more ground.”
The meeting turned tense as several local leaders accused each other of betrayal and intimidation. Jibril Kaisokampanga, one of the participants, said he could not support Badru Kabuye, the NRM flag bearer for Njeru Municipality MP, citing past personal conflicts.
“I cannot support Kabuye because he once threatened to kill me and insulted my family,” Kaisokampanga said.
Others, like Njeru Municipality Mayor Yasin Kyazze, blamed indiscipline and lack of respect for party structures for the ongoing turmoil.
In response, Minister Kasolo condemned the infighting and warned that indiscipline would not be tolerated. He gave those unable to work with the party a few days to resign, saying the NRM would not support disloyal members.
“No member who refuses to cooperate or undermines fellow party leaders will receive support from the NRM,” Kasolo warned. “Our biggest enemy in Buikwe is not the opposition — it is our own divisions.”
He emphasised that such conflicts had directly contributed to the opposition’s growing strength in the district, where President Yoweri Museveni polled poorly in the last election, receiving about 4,000 votes compared to Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu’s 14,000.
Kasolo then spearheaded reconciliation between feuding leaders, including Mayor Kyazze and MP aspirant Badru Kabuye, who eventually forgave each other after Kasolo read out a reconciliation statement. He also urged Kalangwa to reconcile with Minister Mutasingwa despite her absence, a request Kalangwa reluctantly accepted.
Kasolo further directed the district leadership to hold four reconciliation meetings across Buikwe, where grassroots members would air their grievances and rebuild unity ahead of the next elections.
To encourage peace and goodwill, Kasolo offered Mayor Yasin Kyazze and Giribo Warid, the NRM chairperson for Wakisi Division, travel sponsorships to Mecca (Umrah). He also gave Kaisokampanga a token of UGX 500,000 for forgiving Minister Mutasingwa.
A representative of Minister Mutasingwa, Tom Wamala, dismissed the accusations against her, saying she continues to work well with party members and enjoys the full support of President Museveni.
Minister Kasolo promised to personally meet Mutasingwa to address the accusations and reconcile her with her critics, stressing that the party must restore unity if it hopes to reclaim its former dominance in Buikwe.
