RUKUNGIRI, UGANDA – Youth leaders in Rukungiri District have appealed to the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party Chairperson, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, to intervene in the growing divisions within the party in the district.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The appeal follows an NRM stakeholders’ meeting held at Hotel Riverside in Rukungiri, which was convened to address internal wrangles that have escalated since the beginning of the year.
The disagreements reportedly involve some of the district’s most prominent party figures, including two retired generals: Jim Muhwezi, the incumbent NRM flag bearer for Rujumbura County, and Henry Tumukunde, the NRM flag bearer for Rukungiri Municipality.
The fallout also involves the former Rubabo County MP and current District Woman MP, Hon. Midius Natukunda Kaharata; incumbent LCV flag bearer Mr. Andrewson Charles Kateebire; senior presidential advisor and renowned NRM mobilizer Peace Rugambwa; and the incumbent Rukungiri Municipality legislator, Hon. Rutahigwa Elisa.The meeting highlighted the growing rift that has divided the party’s local leadership into two rival camps, popularly referred to as the “Japanese” and the “Chinese.”
The “Japanese” camp reportedly includes Hon. Jim Muhwezi, Hon. Rutahigwa Elisa, Hon. Midius Natukunda, and incumbent LCV Chairman Mr. Kyomukama Geoffrey.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Rukungiri District NRM Youth League Chairman and District Youth Chairperson, Tukundane Levi Napoleon, said the divisions pose a serious threat to party unity and future progress.
“As youth leaders and the next generation of NRM leadership, we find this ongoing conflict deeply troubling. We humbly appeal for the President’s direct intervention to personally mediate and guide reconciliation. Any attempts at district-level dialogue, without national guidance, may not yield lasting results,” Tukundane said.
Tukundane noted that Rukungiri is currently experiencing a period of reduced opposition pressure, with the once-dominant FDC party weakening and the emerging NUP still struggling to gain ground.
He urged all party members, especially senior figures, to prioritize dialogue and reconciliation to protect the NRM’s legacy in Rukungiri and across the country.
“This is the time for NRM to consolidate its unity and strengthen its grassroots influence instead of allowing internal wrangles to create openings for the opposition,” he added.
The divisions come at a time when the district, once considered a stronghold of opposition politics, has shown signs of shifting toward the ruling party following years of political realignments and youth mobilization drives.
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