Hajj Kigongo defies NRM SG, endorses Museveni for 2026
A week after the ruling party secretary general, Mr Richard Todwong, ordered party members to desist from early campaigns, the party National Vice Chairman, Brig Moses Kigongo, yesterday went to Kyambogo office and endorsed his boss as the party flagbearer in the forthcoming 2026 presidential elections.
Mr Kigongo, who arrived at the Office of the National Chairman at 11am and was welcomed by Ms Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye, the senior presidential adviser.
He signed the endorsement chart and announced that his boss should not leave the contest.
The Office of the National Chairman spokesperson, Mr Ibrahim Kittata, who is also the Lwengo NRM chairman, yesterday confirmed Kigongo’s endorsement visit and explained that the Bazzukulu Ba Museveni group picked on Mr Museveni for the good of the party. He added that it was a wakeup call to remind the President to prepare for 2026 elections.
“Hajj Kigongo has not committed any crime. He did what is right and I don’t see anything wrong. We know that the President is busy with national work but he needs to know that we are thinking about him coming back and he should not forget that. This is why Hajj Kigongo has joined the youth in the call,” Mr Kittata said.
On Thursday last week, Mr Todwong summoned the group pushing Mr Museveni’s seventh elective term in office to the party headquarters in Kampala and reminded them that “it’s not yet time for campaigns for any position”.
In the meeting, Ms Namyalo defended her campaign slogan “Omalako Jajja Tova Ku Main” and spelt out the functions of NRM chairperson under Article 14 (1) of the NRM constitution.
She cited section14 (b) which mandates the ruling party chairman to “do any other thing necessary for the good of NRM and for the implementation of the principles of NRM.”
Asked to comment about Kigongo’s decision to endorse President Museveni even after he warned against early campaigns, Mr Todwong said: “These are still internal matters of the [ruling] party. We shall handle them at the right time.”
Mr Todwong also advised those involved in early campaigns to focus on improving service delivery.
Ms Namyalo said Mr Kigongo’s visit was private and refused to discuss details in the media.
The covert and overt push for President Museveni’s seventh elective term in office has since sparked off a rumbling battle of words between NRM party leaders and Opposition politicians who are now accusing the architects of “Jajja Omalako Tova Ku Main” mantra of diverting Ugandans from important issues in the country.
Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, a leader in the Opposition Forum for Democratic Change, yesterday said: “As I have already said about this matter, these people are cunningly choreographing to look like it is Museveni verses his son Kainerugaba Muhoozi and play around with the minds of Ugandans. They know that they are up to making the country a monarchy of sorts. It is a move to divert Ugandans.
