Deepening tensions between National Resistance Movement (NRM) flagbearers and independent candidates in Sembabule District are threatening to derail the party's campaign efforts ahead of the 2026 general elections.
The disagreements trace back to the NRM internal elections of August 13, when General Phinehas Katirima was elected party's district NRM chairperson, Godfrey Aine Sodo became vice chairperson, and Shartsi Musherure Kutesa was elected treasurer.
Independent candidates Denis Ddumba and Mary Begumisa, who are seeking parliamentary seats, were also elected to top party positions--Ddumba as secretary for publicity and Begumisa as district party secretary.
Party insiders say these outcomes have sparked disputes that have escalated into open clashes between NRM loyalists and independents, many of whom turned independent after losing in the party primaries.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
According to NRM regulations, party members are barred from mobilising support for independents, intensifying friction on the campaign trail as supporters from both camps accuse each other of sabotage.
The independents include Jet Tumwebaze challenging NRM's Godfrey Sodo Aine for the Mawogola North seat, Denis Ddumba vying for Mawogola South against Dez Byuuma, Theodore Ssekikubo, challenging Emmanuel Rwashande; and Woman MP hopeful Mary Begumisa, opposing the official party candidate's Florence Nambaziira.
Begumisa has reportedly been blocked from attending NRM mobilisation meetings despite serving on the district's top leadership committee.
The escalating disagreements prompted Sodo, the district NRM vice chairperson, to convene an emergency meeting with party mobilisers and sub-county leaders.
Some chairpersons accused sections of the NRM leadership of quietly endorsing independent candidates, further weakening party cohesion.
Local leader Paul Kyageera warned that the divisions have created room for the National Unity Platform (NUP) and other opposition parties to gain ground in Sembabule.
He criticised the district's NRM leadership for focusing on distributing party T-shirts rather than strengthening grassroots structures.
Sodo urged party members to end internal disputes and rally behind all NRM candidates and President Museveni.
While acknowledging personal friendships with some independents, including Begumisa, he denied endorsing them.
"Mr Begumisa, Mary Begumisa's husband, is a good friend and has been generous to me, but I cannot support her because she violated party structures and ran as an independent," he said.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
He noted that selective voter loyalty--supporting him but not President Museveni--undermines the broader party agenda.
Sodo added that he is working to win over the youth, especially those aligned with NUP, to consolidate support for both himself, fellow flag bearers, and the President.
Meanwhile, women mobilisers in the district have called for unity, warning that factions backing Sodo and Mawogola North MP Shartsi Musherure are deepening divisions.
They stressed that supporting one while sidelining the other only inflames political tensions in Sembabule.
With the 2026 elections approaching, NRM leaders in Sembabule face a critical test: settle internal differences or risk losing ground in a district historically considered one of the party's strongholds.
