President Yoweri Museveni has urged National Resistance Movement (NRM) Members of Parliament who lost in the recent party primaries not to contest as independents in the forthcoming elections.

Speaking at a meeting held at State Lodge Arua, the President accompanied by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Museveni, addressed both NRM MPs and Independent MPs who had previously signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the party.

Museveni’s appeal comes amid rising tensions, as several NRM members who lost in the primaries have declared their intention to run as independents. Some MPs alleged that the primaries were marred by irregularities, claiming their opponents manipulated results to secure unfair victories.

The President acknowledged the grievances but cautioned that reacting by running independently only serves to weaken the party.

He reminded members that in the previous election, particularly in the Buganda region, the NRM lost over 21 seats due to a split vote between official party flagbearers and independent candidates from within the party.

“In cases of provocation or cheating, the right response is not rebellion but following internal party mechanisms,” Museveni advised. “Let’s not repeat past mistakes — unity is key to victory.”

President Museveni also advised politicians not to enter politics when they are financially unstable.

He encouraged MPs to focus on economic empowerment, suggesting that the government could inject more funds into parliamentary SACCOs to provide soft loans that would help leaders build sustainable livelihoods while continuing to support the NRM cause.

The meeting was attended by the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa, several Cabinet Ministers, and members of the NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC), among other senior officials.

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