Kampala, Uganda: The NRM Revolutionary Network (NRN), a youth-leaning cadre platform within the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), has called for strict adherence to the party’s established procedures in the selection of candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the forthcoming 12th Parliament.
In a statement issued on Monday, March 16, 2026, the network said leadership decisions within the ruling party should be guided by institutional processes rather than external endorsements.
The statement comes in response to a directive by the Patriotic League of Uganda urging Members of Parliament aligned to the platform to rally behind the current office holders for the positions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
While acknowledging the right of individuals and political platforms to express their opinions, the NRN emphasized that such directives do not constitute a binding decision of the National Resistance Movement.
“As a network of committed young cadres devoted to the ideological foundations and institutional integrity of the Movement, we believe it is important to reaffirm that systems and procedures must always guide leadership processes,” the statement reads in part.
The group noted that the determination of the party’s official candidates for parliamentary leadership is the responsibility of the Movement’s established organs and warned that attempts by external platforms to predetermine outcomes risk undermining the institutional discipline that has sustained the party for decades.
According to the NRN, the process is clearly outlined in the NRM Parliamentary Caucus Rules of Procedure (2014), which guide the selection of candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
Under the rules, interested Members of Parliament are required to formally express interest to the NRM Electoral Commission before their candidacy is considered by the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC). The final nomination and endorsement is then made by the NRM Parliamentary Caucus prior to the first sitting of Parliament.
The network said the framework ensures that leadership within the Movement emerges through consultation and collective decision-making.
“It is therefore our considered view that any endorsement that appears to pre-empt the full implementation of these procedures raises legitimate concerns about procedural integrity,” the statement noted.
Meanwhile, the NRN also announced the launch of a nationwide mobilisation campaign aimed at strengthening ideological awareness and grassroots structures within the party.
The initiative will involve recruiting district and regional mobilisers tasked with promoting the Movement’s ideological principles among young cadres, encouraging participation in internal party processes, and mobilising youth support for the long-term stability of the ruling party.
The network reiterated its commitment to what it described as the founding ideals of the National Resistance Movement, including discipline, institutional strength and democratic participation within the Movement.
“We strongly reiterate that our engagement on these matters is guided not by personal interest but by the responsibility of young cadres to safeguard the revolutionary gains and ensure that the Movement’s systems remain stronger than individual ambitions,” the statement added.
