The National Resistance Movement (NRM) has released new membership figures that have sparked discussions within the opposition ranks.
Despite recent electoral shifts favoring opposition parties in the central region and Kampala during the 2021 general elections, the NRM has reported a significant increase of over 70% in party membership in these areas.
While opposition parties gained ground in many parts of the Buganda region, political analysts suggest that the landscape might change again by the next elections in 2026.
During a meeting chaired by party leader President Yoweri Museveni at State House Entebbe on April 11, 2024, the NRM secretariat presented a report to the party central executive committee (CEC) celebrating the impressive number of new members registered during the recent party register update exercise held from March 13 to 17, 2024.
The report, delivered by party secretary general Richard Todwong, revealed that out of the 18,336,468 individuals who registered and updated their details during the exercise, a staggering 7,636,579 were new members, while the remaining 10,700,889 were existing members who updated their information.
The majority of new members, totaling 1,479,419 (70.1%), were from the central region, adding to the existing membership of 2,107,968. This indicates a potential voter base of 3,587,387 in the upcoming elections.
The western region retained its position as the area with the highest number of party members, with 5,725,137 individuals registered. Meanwhile, the eastern region saw the highest growth rate in party membership, registering 2,288,705 new members, well above the national average.
The report also highlighted significant membership growth in northern Uganda, where over 1.5 million new members were recorded, bringing the total party membership in the region to 3,743,983.
However, opposition voices have raised skepticism regarding the reported figures, with some accusing the NRM of inflating membership numbers for political gain.
Despite the challenges faced during the registration exercise, including low turnout in certain regions and reported incidents of mistreatment and corruption, the NRM secretariat expressed satisfaction with the overall outcome and highlighted plans to address remaining issues.
Looking ahead, Todwong says the NRM aims to leverage its growing membership base to mobilize voters and strengthen its position in the political landscape of Uganda.
