The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Electoral Commission has confirmed that all electoral materials have been dispatched ahead of the party primaries scheduled for Thursday, 17th July 2025.
While addressing the media at the party headquarters on Plot 13 Kyadondo Road, NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson Dr. Tanga Odoi announced that even districts in remote regions such as West Nile, Karamoja, and Kigezi have already received their election materials.
He affirmed the commission’s readiness to conduct the primaries for 2,777 nominated candidates and urged all party members to turn up and vote for their preferred flag bearers.
Polling will commence at 12 noon and end at 2:00 pm. Voter identification will be done through community Baraza (village gatherings) followed by lining up behind the candidate of choice.
Dr. Tanga emphasized that all voters must present their national ID. In the absence of an ID, a voter must be identified and recognized by fellow residents at the polling station.
Voting will start with the election of district woman Members of Parliament, followed by constituency MPs.
Dr. Tanga also addressed concerns of potential electoral unrest, citing districts such as Sembabule, Jinja City, Mbale City, and Lwengo District as hotspots.
He revealed that security forces are on high alert in these areas following incidents involving candidates Muhammad Ssentayi and Ibrahim Kitaata, who reportedly assaulted their own supporters the previous day.
In his message, Dr. Tanga warned candidates and supporters against meeting registrars in private settings, such as their homes, which he said could lead to attempts to influence or bribe officials.
He urged all village registrars to communicate clearly in a language understood by voters during the vote-counting process to avoid misunderstandings.
Commissioner James Kinobe, in charge of Buganda (excluding Kampala Metropolitan), also echoed the commission’s call for transparency and peaceful conduct during the elections.
Dr. Tanga further stressed that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the party chairperson, has opted to remain neutral in these primaries and is committed to working with any individual elected as the NRM flag bearer.
He concluded with a firm warning: any disruption of Thursday’s polls will lead to cancellation of the election in the affected areas.
By Olivia Nabaggala
16th July 2025
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