At a national party gathering that drew more than 23,000 delegates, Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni congratulated Speaker of Parliament Anita Among on her sweeping victory as the National Resistance Movement’s (NRM) Second National Vice Chairperson (Female).
The results, announced Wednesday at Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala, showed Among taking nearly 93 percent of the vote. Her rival, Rebecca Kadaga — the first deputy prime minister and long-time Kamuli District legislator — secured less than 8 percent.
Among’s win was decisive even in Busoga, Kadaga’s traditional base, where she edged out the veteran politician by 44 votes. The outcome left many of Kadaga’s supporters voicing anger and a sense of betrayal.
Museveni, who has led Uganda since 1986, praised Among’s election as a sign of unity within the ruling party. “I congratulate the Rt. Hon. Anita Among upon being elected the Second National Vice Chairperson (Female) for the NRM,” he said.
The president also highlighted Capt. Mike Mukula’s decision to step aside in the race for Vice Chairperson of the Eastern Region in favor of David Calvin Echodu. Calling the move an example of “solution-based leadership,” Museveni said it underscored the party’s emphasis on collective progress over individual ambition.
“It’s not about who leads but what is accomplished,” he remarked.
The gathering also served as a platform for Museveni’s formal endorsement as the NRM’s presidential candidate for Uganda’s 2026 general election and as party chairman for another six-year term. He was joined by First Lady Janet Kataha Museveni, who also serves as minister of education.
“Thank you for entrusting me to be your Chairman of the NRM for the period 2025–2031. Thank you for electing me as your flag bearer for the 2026–2031 presidential term. I will not let you down,” Museveni told delegates.
Moses Kigongo, a founding member of the ruling party, was re-elected unopposed as the NRM’s First National Vice Chairperson. Museveni described him as “a senior cadre of the NRM who has served the party since 1980.”
The president congratulated other newly elected leaders but also warned against the misuse of personal finances in politics, saying it was a common source of corruption.
“Lead them by using government resources, not your own money,” he cautioned.
Museveni used the occasion to revisit Uganda’s economic history. He traced the country’s early reliance on six key exports — coffee, cotton, copper, tea, tourism and tobacco — and described how conflict and economic mismanagement in the 1970s left the economy reliant on smuggling and black-market trade.
Since taking power, Museveni said, the NRM has guided Uganda through five phases of economic reform: stabilization, expansion of exports, diversification into food crops and livestock, local value addition, and investment in knowledge industries like information technology and pharmaceuticals.
According to the president, Uganda’s GDP has grown from $3.9 billion in 1986 to more than $66 billion today, with purchasing power parity estimates placing it at $188 billion. He projected the economy could reach $500 billion in the coming years, citing peace, infrastructure and industrial growth as the foundations.
The NRM Delegates conference concluded with expressions of support from international guests, including delegations from East Africa, China, South Africa and the Saharawi Republic — a reminder of the NRM’s continued efforts to frame Uganda’s politics within a global context.
