Richard Todwong, the secretary general of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), recently addressed the district’s election officers and registrars, urging them to prepare for the upcoming update of the party registries. The secretary general did not specify a date for the update but emphasized its importance.
Todwong mentioned that an audit of the previous election register revealed deficiencies, including registers with only Christian names or single names and a lack of National Identification Numbers (NIN) associated with many names. He underlined the need to rectify these issues and to organize the party’s registers from the village to the district level. Additionally, he expressed a desire to ensure that the registers do not include individuals who are not eligible, particularly school children.
Recognizing that many districts outside the metropolitan area have relatively low populations, Todwong informed the officers that the registry update will span two weeks. Furthermore, the NRM plans to establish subregional centers where data entry and updating will take place.
Todwong noted that the Uganda Electoral Commission does not appear ready to conduct Local Council elections. The NRM sees this as an opportunity to complete its internal activities.
In his address, Todwong also touched upon the issue of infighting within the party. He expressed concern about conflicts among party members, citing an example of a significant dispute between prominent women in Teso and Lango. Todwong stressed the importance of resolving such disputes and encouraged open communication to address mistakes and conflicts. He emphasized that in-party fights are counterproductive and detrimental to the party’s unity and goals.