The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has clarified that its nationwide vote protection exercise is strictly limited to safeguarding votes cast for President Museveni and does not extend to parliamentary or other party candidates ahead of the January 15 general election.
The clarification was issued today, Thursday January 9, during a news briefing held at the Office of the National Chairman in Kyambogo.
The briefing was addressed by the coordinator of the Office of the National Chairman and overall coordinator of President Museveni's vote protection team, Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye, alongside the chairperson of the NRM Electoral Commission, Tanga Odoi.
The party's statement follows widespread discussion after reports earlier this week indicated that the NRM had rolled out a comprehensive vote protection initiative across the country, involving the training of thousands of party representatives and grassroots coordinators to guard what the party expects to be a decisive electoral victory.
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Addressing journalists, Hajjat Namyalo stressed that the exercise is exclusively designed to protect the presidential vote of the NRM flag bearer and should not be misconstrued as a blanket operation covering all party candidates.
"We have trained our structures for the presidential vote protection," she said. "However, every candidate, including those standing on the NRM ticket, must appoint and deploy their own duly accredited polling agents in accordance with the law."
She explained that vote protection for the president is a structured nationwide operation anchored in the party's grassroots network and aligned with Uganda's electoral framework.
According to Namyalo, the process goes beyond the mere presence of agents at polling stations and is coordinated from village level through parish, sub-county and district structures.
"Polling stations are organised under parishes, and our organogram integrates party and electoral structures," she said.
"At district level, the district registrar works jointly with the district ONC coordinator to supervise the process and manage the flow of information down to the grassroots."
Similar coordination, she added, continues at sub-county and parish levels, where registrars and ONC coordinators oversee agents deployed at individual polling stations.
Hajjat Namyalo was categorical that the agents currently being trained are mandated only to protect votes cast for President Museveni.
"We are training agents for the President and flag bearer of NRM. We are not training agents for parliamentary flag bearers," she said.
"Their principal goal is to protect the presidential vote of Yoweri Kaguta Museveni."
She cautioned NRM parliamentary candidates against interfering with agents assigned to the presidential vote, saying each category of contestants must organise its own structures.
"No NRM parliamentary flag bearer, whether a minister or otherwise, should push or cajole an agent trained to protect the President's vote," she warned.
"They should find their own agents. Ours are strictly for the presidential flag bearer."
On the issue of facilitation, Namyalo emphasised transparency and accountability, noting that all funds earmarked for presidential vote protection would be channelled through official district accounts.
"There is no charging of VAT and no removal of even one shilling meant for agents," she said. "Every office handling this process is catered for. What we are protecting is the vote."
She added that each polling station would have three trained agents, two primary agents and one standby, to ensure continuity in the event of emergencies.
The agents, she said, are being instructed to operate strictly within the law while remaining firm.
"We shall be law-abiding, but firm. We shall protect what belongs to NRM without fear or favour," she said.
Addressing the same briefing, Odoi commended Hajjat Namyalo for organising what he described as an effective and well-coordinated exercise.
He revealed that verification of agent lists submitted from districts had shown minimal discrepancies.
"So far, from our research, the lists sent to districts have only about 0.5 per cent issues, which is minimal," Odoi said. "That shows the work done has been excellent."
He attributed the few anomalies to unavoidable circumstances, including health-related issues affecting some selected agents.
"If an agent gives birth or is appointed a presiding officer, that is not sabotage; it is biology or good character," he said. "In such cases, we simply replace them."
Dr Odoi also reiterated the party's confidence in President Museveni's electoral prospects, citing internal assessments.
"Our candidate is a leading candidate by far. All trajectories show he is heading towards 80 per cent," he said. "That kind of strength breeds political envy. We do not have competitors; we have participants."
At the same time, he warned against violence from both opposition supporters and NRM members, cautioning that any actions that intimidate voters would not be tolerated.
"We condemn all violence," he said. "Any NRM member trying to cause chaos that deters our supporters from voting is hereby warned."
He specifically called for calm in areas that have previously experienced election-related tension, urging self-styled political enforcers to withdraw and allow a peaceful environment.
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"I want towns and municipalities to be peaceful for President Museveni to enjoy his votes," Dr Odoi said.
He concluded by commending Hajjat Namyalo for her performance so far and thanked Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa for chairing key coordination meetings related to the exercise.
The NRM's clarification comes against the backdrop of repeated guidance from the Electoral Commission that only duly appointed polling agents and authorised observers are legally permitted to be present at polling stations during voting and counting.
EC Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama has previously stated that the law does not recognise informal vote protection teams outside the official framework.
Under the Presidential Elections Act, candidates or their accredited agents are allowed to be present during voting and counting to safeguard their interests and to ensure that Declaration of Results forms accurately reflect polling outcomes.
As the January 15 polls draw closer, questions around vote protection, legality and the role of polling agents continue to dominate Uganda's political discourse, with the election expected to be among the most closely watched in recent years.
