A group of Members of Parliament (MPs) from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) who lost during the recently concluded party primaries have announced plans to contest as independent candidates in the 2026 general elections, with the blessing of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
Speaking to the media on Monday, October 13, 2025, the Chairperson of the group, Hon. Anthony Esenu, said the President met with the NRM-leaning independents to discuss their concerns and political future following disputed party primaries.
The meeting was reportedly cordial, with the President giving the green light for some of the aspirants to stand as independents in constituencies where the NRM risks losing to the opposition.
“The President invited us as NRM independents who expressed the intention to run as independents, and he has given us the green light to stand,” Esenu told journalists.
“In his go-ahead, he provided some guidance: if you come from a constituency where there is a strong opposition candidate, he advised that independents sit with the flag bearer and resolve the issue of one of them standing.”
Esenu added that President Museveni emphasized the importance of unity within the NRM family despite differences that arose from the primaries.
“In his view, he would prefer to have the flag bearer continue in constituencies where the opposition is strong. But where there is no formidable opposition, he said he would simply observe, allowing the people on the ground to decide. He won’t interfere, knowing that whoever wins will still be NRM,” Esenu explained.
The decision, which appears to be a strategic political move, aims to prevent the opposition from capitalizing on divisions within the ruling party.
The President’s guidance reflects his long-held stance that internal competition should not weaken the NRM’s national dominance ahead of the 2026 elections.
During the same media briefing, Mbarara Woman MP Hon. Margaret Ayebare expressed her disappointment with the conduct of the NRM primaries, saying that many of the internal elections were marred by irregularities and favoritism.
“Our decision to contest as independent candidates is a move taken to protest against the irregularities that emerged in the NRM party primaries,” she stated.
“But we are not doing this because we hate the party or want to abandon it. We are contesting to challenge the unfair outcomes that did not reflect the people’s will.”
Hon. Ayebare clarified that the decision by some MPs to go independent does not signal a breakaway from the NRM but rather a call for fairness and transparency within the party’s internal processes.
“People out there should know that we are not contesting against the NRM. We are only contesting the results that came out of the primaries,” she added. “For that reason, I want to thank His Excellency for looking at us as his own children within the NRM.”
Political observers say President Museveni’s decision to allow independents to contest under certain circumstances demonstrates his pragmatic approach to maintaining NRM dominance across the country.
While the party constitution discourages members from running as independents, the President has often struck a balance between enforcing discipline and preserving the NRM’s parliamentary strength.
By encouraging dialogue between flag bearers and independents, Museveni hopes to avoid vote splitting that could favor the opposition, especially in constituencies where the ruling party’s support base is deeply divided.
Sources within the NRM Secretariat indicate that the President is likely to continue engaging both the party’s official candidates and independents in the coming weeks to ensure cooperation on the campaign trail.
While some NRM loyalists have welcomed the President’s flexible approach, others have expressed concern that allowing independents to run may undermine party structures and discipline.
They argue that the decision could set a precedent for members to disregard internal elections whenever results do not favor them.
However, Hon. Esenu dismissed these concerns, saying the move is not meant to weaken the party but to strengthen its overall chances of victory.
“The President’s guidance is clear, we must avoid situations where internal wrangles hand easy wins to the opposition,” he said.
“At the end of the day, whether you are an NRM flag bearer or an independent leaning toward the NRM, our shared goal remains the same, to keep the NRM in power.”
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