NRM Leaders Arrive for a Crucial Meeting with Odoi Over Canceled Elections in Ssembabule

A delegation of National Resistance Movement (NRM) leaders from Ssembabule District has arrived at the party’s Electoral Commission offices in Kampala ahead of a crucial meeting with Commission chairperson, Tanga Odoi.

The meeting, follows the recent cancellation of internal party elections in the district due to chaos and violence.

Ssembabule was among the few districts where elections for district NRM leadership were called off last week after the exercise was disrupted by physical confrontations between rival camps.

Reports from the Commission indicated that the process was marred by fighting and deliberate interference from candidates.

According to Dr. Tanga Odoi, the meeting is intended to resolve ongoing disputes among party leaders in the district and prepare the ground for fresh elections now scheduled for May 30.

“This meeting is meant to address the differences between the district leadership ahead of the elections scheduled for the 30th of this month,” Odoi told journalists in a press briefing on Monday.

One of the key issues expected to dominate the meeting is the integrity of the voters’ register. Odoi said all parties would go through the register together to verify legitimate delegates.

“We are going to read name by name, we’ll all agree on who are not voters and those who are not voters will be removed,” he said.

The Commission also received allegations that some candidates had deliberately hidden delegates to frustrate the electoral process.

“Delegates were hidden by some candidates, only for them to turn up at the polling station late for the elections to take place,” Odoi added.

Among those already at the Electoral Commission offices is Lwemiyaga County MP, Theodore Ssekikubo, who has been embroiled in a longstanding feud with Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Lwashande, another influential figure in Ssembabule’s politics.

Odoi has warned that if today’s meeting fails to produce a resolution, the elections will not be held until after the 2026 general elections.

“If the elections can’t be held after today’s meeting, then they’ll have to wait up to 2026 after the general elections,” he said.

The developments in Ssembabule highlight the deep divisions within the NRM's grassroots structures, with the party's electoral body under pressure to restore order and ensure credible internal processes.