By Jack Wamba Okot
Eastern Uganda is now on fire! This is what is contained in an NRM report by its ONC coordinators suggesting that president Museveni is destined for a terrible loss if the plan is to succeed.
In the project being coined allegedly by NUP led by Bobi Wine also Robert Kyagulanyi and FDC honcho Nandala Mafabi, Museveni is supposed to be denied outright win and hence, he will suffer a rerun in 2026.
Already, ISO director for political affairs Maj. Frank Banana while addressing ONC coordinators at Kyambogo recently, warned that unless some things had been put right earlier, the ruling party will not be able to get the required 50+1% in 2026.
Now, a fresh detail on the ground from eastern Uganda indicates the real threat to the ruling party chairman Yoweri Museveni. The report suggests that whereas Bobi Wine will encircle Museveni in Buganda, Nandala Mafabi who’s vying for FDC presidency will handle the east comprising Bugisu, Busoga, Teso and Bukedi sub-region. With the two areas joining hands, the president according to the calculation will lose as he will not have the required percentage.
The report suggests that Nandala who’s now facing pressure in his Budadiri west constituency has already held secret meetings with not only top district leaders of Bugisu but also gone down in villages.
“He first met the LC 1 and 2s of the sub-region, later he met LC3s and clan leaders before calling all Sironko district leadership of both technical wing and political wing for an induction in his posh Mountain Inn hotel” says the report authored by ONC regional coordinators in Bugisu sub-region.
During the 3-days meeting which he allegedly fully facilitated, he bashed Museveni and his party for abandoning lower party carders but only remember about them during campaign time.
Nandala according to the brief also blasted Museveni for ignoring Bugisu, dropping important personalities for ministerial jobs and instead wasted some of the area daughters by posting them to what he called useless Karamoja ministry.
To prove the seriousness of the project, even area MPs from Bugisu are said to have started fundraising for Nandala’s state house bid. Nandala it is suggested has started showing his financial fitness by splashing bags of money to various centers yet Museveni’s people are contributing coins.
“Recently, he was in Bulambuli and contributed Shs50m and also pledged to build a community church alone.
He has reached an extent of owning the Bamasaaba Chiefdom Inzu Ya Masaaba. The concern of NRM cadres in Bugisu is that why the party is silent when it’s being infiltrated by the opposition. By 2025, the whole region will be oppositon and it will be very hard for NRM to retain it from him. BUGISU now lacks a uniting NRM pillar since all influential people were dropped and now Nandala remains the only lion in the jungle” the report says.
He’s also said to have maximally utilized his position as leader of BCU where farmers are now singing his name.
“Nandala’s game plan synchronizes with NUP that he holds Eastern while Bobi holds Buganda like he did in 2021. This is meant to put pressure on on NRM which would force a rerun as outright victory may be a tall order” says the report.
It’s suggested that this strategy is being mediated by oppositon chief whip John Baptist Nambeshe (NUP) who’s influence in the Bugisu is rising by the day.
However, Nandala’s alleged threat now is the ONC office led by Hajat Uzeiye Namyalo Hadijah which has come out to awaken the masses on matters of corruption which has been Nandala’s main campaign tool.
This has sent shivers down his spine as he fears that Gen. Museveni in his coming cabinet, he’s going to clean his face by appointing corruption free individuals to cabinet. Museveni is looking at appointing more people from Bugisu but are outside parliament.
Some of the suggested names include Simon Mulongo (Manafwa District) Barrister Peter Magomu Mashate (Sironko district), Abdallah Wambedde from Wanale (Mbale district) among others. Among elected MPs being looked at include John Musila, Netelesire Sarah and Irene Muloni.
Among these vettees however, is Mashate whom NRM is sending to Budadiri west to dislodge Nandala Mafabi and we’re told already, signals indicate that the pressure on the ground is high for Nandala, hence his second opinion to try the presidency as a soft landing exit.
On the other hand, Museveni has embarked on holding meetings with all NRM LC1s and other grassroots leaders countrywide in an effort to rejuvenate his support.
He has also deployed ONC regional coordinators backed up by three Bazzukulus to market him for 2026 and also monitor his programs in all districts where corruption is thriving. The ONC coordinators are being managed by Hajat Uzeiye Namyalo Hadijah who runs the ONC office at Kyambogo.
Watch the space!
