Former Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Isaac Isanga Musumba, has announced that he will lead President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s campaign in Kamuli District, pledging to restore the National Resistance Movement’s (NRM) dominance in the area ahead of the 2026 general elections.
Speaking to NRM cadres and stakeholders in Kamuli Municipality, Musumba did not mince his words. He squarely blamed the party’s poor performance in the 2021 elections on former Speaker of Parliament and First Deputy Prime Minister, Rebecca Kadaga.
“In 2021, the NRM lost ground in Busoga not because the party was weak, but because those who were supposed to lead mobilization did not do their job,” Musumba said. “Kadaga failed to mobilise effectively, allowing Bobi Wine’s NUP to sweep through the region.”
Musumba’s rebuke comes hot on the heels of heightened tensions following Kadaga’s defeat in the race for NRM’s Second National Vice Chairperson (Female) position at the recent Central Executive Committee (CEC) elections.
Kadaga accused the party of sidelining loyalty and seniority, warning that her loss would have serious repercussions for Busoga.
“This is bigger than me. You may think you are fighting an individual, but you are fighting an entire community,” she warned, emphasizing that her removal risked destabilizing regional support for NRM.
She also threatened to quit the party if what she called “gross abuse of office” during the election persisted. “We cherish our party, but if this oppression continues, we shall be left with no choice but to walk away,” Kadaga stated.
At the same NEC meeting, Kadaga openly challenged the fairness of the process, questioning why Speaker Anita Among—already an ex-officio CEC member—was contesting the same position and invoking her decades of service as counterpoint.
President Museveni, visibly irritated by her framing of the conflict as a Busoga-versus-party narrative, retorted sharply: “Rebecca, you don’t own Busoga… you were not there when I was working with the previous kings.”
Observers suggest that Kadaga’s rhetoric—positioning her removal as a blow not just to her personally but to regional loyalty—resonates with many constituents. Political analysts warn that if Kadaga were to contest independently and win, it would signal a major setback for the NRM.
Amid this internal firestorm, Musumba’s declaration that he will carry the NRM banner in Kamuli signals the party’s efforts to regroup and reclaim ground.
Yet, his public backlash against Kadaga—a beloved figure in Busoga—could deepen divisions within regional party structures. With Kadaga’s warnings of a potential political backlash still fresh, the NRM faces a delicate balancing act as it prepares for a pivotal electoral battle in 2026.
