Nadduli lashes out at own NRM party

After a bittersweet year in which he turned 80 nearly two months after burying his 37-year-old son, Hajj Abdul Nadduli has warned that the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party could be headed for disaster if it doesn’t have a moment of introspection.

Hajj Nadduli, who once held a ministerial position after having served the ruling party as vice chairperson for the central region, says listening to dissenting voices via a national dialogue is prudent for the NRM.

“We fought against the abductions and many other brutal acts but this is what we are witnessing now,” Hajj Nadduli said during his 80th birthday party on December 23.

The octogenarian urged the NRM party to “swallow its pride” and hold a national dialogue, warning that President Museveni risks sending people who rally behind him into exile.

“I believe that President Museveni would not be happy when his own family members and the other relatives are abducted and detained on trumped-up charges in a country that he helped liberate 30 years ago,” he said, adding, “We have seen empires that once ruled the world later collapse. We had the Roman Empire, the Germans and the French. All these are no more. NRM party is not an exception.”

The veteran politician’s son—Suleiman Jakana Nadduli—had carved out a reputation of being a dissenting voice and was arrested on a sectarianism charge. His health reportedly deteriorated during his detention. The Opposition has since the 2021 general elections campaigns complained about abduction of its supporters and torture of those detained. A formal statement on the matter with a list of missing persons was presented to the House for action by government.

Hajj Nadduli said it is unwise to attempt to cower dissenting voices with the gun.

“I’m championing the flag for national dialogue not because of lack of what to do but because I care about the future of the next generation,” he said, adding, “I have tried to use the different avenues, including the radio and television talk shows to suggest to the NRM the best way of engaging the citizenry for a better and peaceful country, but all in vain.”

Hajj Nadduli’s 80th birthday party was shunned by NRM party officials. It is unclear what caused this. The veteran politician, however, says he will continue speaking truth to power. He added that he will continue to guide the younger generations as was the case when a group of youth tried to impress upon him the idea of endorsing President Museveni as NRM’s flag bearer during the 2026 polls.

“When you hold such a banner endorsing President Museveni while many people are languishing in jail, it holds no purpose,” he said, adding, “Let those arrested on non-existent charges be freed before you engage the people on the 2026 mission.”

Hajj Nadduli also used the birthday to offer words of caution to Opposition politicians.

“Even my young people here in the National Unity Platform need to learn that they will not walk a straight path to the State House,” he said, adding, “Tell my son [Robert] Kyagulanyi that … just moving around the world [won’t cut it].”

In an interview on Tuesday, Mr Emmanuel Dombo, the director for information and mobilisation at the NRM Secretariat, said the party has no score to settle with its “senior” members.

“It is not true that we deliberately refused to attend Hajj Nadduli’s 80th birthday celebrations. I personally saw the invitation but it coincided with several other programmes and within the festive days that possibly made it difficult for some members to attend,” he said.

Mr Dombo described the issues raised by Hajj Nadduli as “genuine”, adding that they “cannot be brushed away”. He urged the octogenarian to cascade his queries through the known party structures.

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