Uganda's ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has resolved to take firm action against individuals who violated the party’s voters' register during the ongoing grassroots polls process, which were marred by widespread chaos, violence, and alleged manipulation.
The party’s Electoral Commission says offenders, including party officials and local leaders, will face disciplinary measures in a bid to restore order and integrity in the ongoing internal electoral process.
Last week, Chaos broke out in several villages in Buteba Sub-county and Eastern Division that neighbour Kenya, as hundreds of Kenyan nationals crossed the border to vote in the NRM village party elections that got underway on Monday.
Busia is a border district between Uganda and Kenya, with ethnic communities like the Samia and Iteso having family ties across both countries, making it challenging to distinguish between Ugandan and Kenyan citizens. The worst-affected villages were Marachi D, Sofia A, and Sofia B in Eastern Division. In Buteba Sub-county, the affected villages included Okame, Abochet, Amagoro, and Alupe.
In Buteba Sub-county, voting was called off in four villages, Alupe, Amagoro, Abochet, and Okame, after hundreds of Kenyans from Teso South crossed the border to participate in the NRM elections.
Busia District NRM Chairperson Mr Eric Masiga confirmed that polls in the four villages were cancelled due to the illegal participation of foreigners.
" We were strictly following the yellow book, so when some Kenyans crossed and insisted on voting, chaos broke out, leading to the cancellation of the voting process," Mr Masiga said.
Meanwhile, the party has struck off nearly one million names from its register in what officials describe as a sweeping internal reform aimed at cleaning party structures ahead of the 2026 general elections.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday at the party’s headquarters in Kampala, NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson Dr. Tanga Odoi said a total of 958,336 individuals were removed following last week’s village-level elections.
“These names belonged to people who are either deceased or have defected to other political parties. This update is a necessary step toward ensuring the credibility of our electoral processes,” Dr. Odoi explained.
The data cleanup comes on the heels of village baraza elections held in over 72,000 villages, forming the base of NRM’s nationwide grassroots structures. The party is now eyeing the next round of elections, with sub-county-level polls set for May 16, followed by city division elections on May 19, and district-level polls on May 23. Elections for special interest groups—including the youth, older persons, and persons with disabilities—will be held on May 24.
