With President Yoweri Museveni scheduled to kick off his campaign tour of West Nile on October 17 ahead of the February 2026 general elections, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) leadership has issued a firm warning to party members about overstepping their roles and engaging in self-serving behavior.

Museveni, who is seeking re-election for a seventh term, will traverse the West Nile region as part of his bid to retain the presidency. In preparation, the NRM’s Executive Committee has cautioned against interference in campaign activities beyond one’s assigned jurisdiction.

At a strategic planning meeting held in Arua for all regional District Executive Committee (DEC) members, NRM Northern Region Vice Chairperson Hamson Dennis Obua emphasized the importance of drawing large crowds to support Museveni’s rallies. He also warned delegates to be vigilant of individuals who “feel overly important, act selfishly, and attempt to overshadow others in an effort to catch the President’s attention.”

NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong echoed Obua’s concerns, warning that delegates in West Nile would “face consequences” if they failed to deliver strong mobilization efforts for the party’s presidential candidate, Yoweri Museveni.

Meanwhile, some district leaders have raised concerns about the need for greater coordination in the campaign process. Samanya Dradriga, the NRM Chairperson for Koboko District, urged the Central Executive Committee (CEC) to “ensure strict adherence to district-led campaign programs to avoid disunity among party members during and after the elections”.

Similarly, Boniface Alioni, NRM District Chairperson for Arua, pointed to a lack of active involvement in previous elections. “They had been rendered idle,” he noted, urging renewed efforts to counter the growing influence of Dr. Lina Zedriga, the National Unity Platform (NUP) Vice Chairperson, who he said is working diligently to build NUP support in the district ahead of Museveni’s visit.

Under the new NRM campaign strategy, organizing and overseeing Museveni’s campaign efforts will fall under the responsibility of district executive members within their respective jurisdictions.

In addition, the Central Executive Committee (CEC) reaffirmed that independent candidates who lost in the recent NRM primaries will be excluded from participating in ongoing campaign activities.