Blog

The National Resistance Movement (NRM) has unveiled its roadmap for the upcoming Village Women Council and Local Council I (LC1) elections, urging members to remain united, disciplined and actively participate in the grassroots electoral process.

Addressing journalists at the NRM Secretariat in Kampala on Tuesday, Secretary General Richard Todwong said the party had synchronized its activities with the Electoral Commission’s election programme to ensure smooth participation across the country.

Todwong said Ugandans will elect members of the Village Women Committees on July 23, 2026, before voting for LC1 Chairpersons on July 28, 2026.

He called on all eligible party members to verify their details during the Electoral Commission’s ongoing village register update, which runs from July 6 to July 10, noting that separate registers will be used for the two elections.

“The LC1 register will contain all eligible residents aged 18 years and above, while the Women’s Council register will only include women aged 18 years and above,” Todwong explained.

To fill gaps within the party structures, the NRM Electoral Commission will hold village barazas on July 10 to elect flag bearers for vacant Village Women Committee positions.

He urged party members to attend the meetings, saying they are crucial in ensuring the NRM fields candidates in every village.

The party will then endorse all flag bearers between July 11 and July 14, before the Electoral Commission conducts nominations from July 15 to July 19 at sub-county headquarters.

Todwong stressed that no aspiring NRM candidate will be allowed to seek nomination without first obtaining the party’s official endorsement.

He added that another round of mobilisation barazas will be held on July 22 to rally support for NRM candidates ahead of polling.

According to Todwong, the NRM already has flag bearers in most of Uganda’s more than 72,000 villages, with the current exercise only intended to fill vacancies caused by death, relocation or members leaving the party.

He also warned members against contesting as independent candidates after failing to secure the NRM flag.

“The NRM does not support independent candidates who stand against officially endorsed party flag bearers. Those who choose to do so will face disciplinary action,” he warned.

Todwong reminded aspiring candidates that they must be Ugandan citizens aged 18 years and above, residents of the villages where they intend to contest, registered on the Electoral Commission’s village register and possess valid National Identity Cards.

He also clarified that the Electoral Commission does not charge nomination fees for either the Village Women Committee or LC1 elections.

Todwong said President Yoweri Museveni is expected to issue a message to party members on the importance of the grassroots elections, expressing confidence that the NRM is fully prepared for the exercise.

This article from the KACC Department for Critical Thinking and Alternative Analysis in Nabilatuk District, Karamoja Sub-region, begins with a critical question: What if the rains do not come in time and the scorching sunshine continues across Karamoja? What will happen? How will people who depend on crop farming survive?

The evidence on the ground is worrying. Even if the rains begin now, some crops have already dried up, and indicators suggest that yields will be low. As a result, many Karimojong households are likely to face increased hunger, while poverty may worsen. More concerning is the apparent lack of immediate action to prepare communities, emotionally or practically, should the rains fail completely.

Smallholder farmers across Karamoja appear confused about what to do next. Many have lost hope and abandoned their gardens. The current agricultural situation, particularly in crop farming, supports the findings of Catherine Nakalembe’s 2017 study, “Agricultural Land Use, Drought Impacts and Vulnerability in Karamoja,” which argues that the region’s high environmental variability, combined with dependence on rainfall, significantly affects crop yields. Within this year of 2026, crop production in districts such as Kotido and Nabilatuk is already highly variable and remains difficult to predict.

Some readers may be asking what solutions can be offered. I call upon the Government, NGOs, donors, and academic institutions to urgently begin serious discussions on the current climate crisis affecting Karamoja. Practical and coordinated responses are needed before the region slips back into the devastating hunger experienced during the 1980s.

Some critics may respond, as Professor Mahmood Mamdani argued in 1982, by asking whether the people of Karamoja should find their own solutions instead of relying on philanthropic organisations from imperialist countries. That is a legitimate question. However, the reality is that Karamoja, including institutions working on climate change adaptation, still requires support to better understand and respond to concepts such as vulnerability, adaptation, resilience, and adaptive capacity.

The most urgent priority is to begin an honest and evidence-based conversation about Karamoja’s scorching sun. Without that discussion, I predict a humanitarian crisis in Karamoja in the form of famine, hunger, and malnutrition.

Ayub Mukisa, PhD
Executive Director, Karamoja Anti-Corruption Coalition (KACC)
Email: [email protected]

 

Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at Submit an Article

. 1. Birthplace of East Africa’s Richest Man

Dr. Sudhir Ruparelia, consistently cited as the wealthiest individual in Uganda and East Africa, was born in Kabatoro, Kasese District.

• 2. Snow on the Equator

  Kasese is one of the rare places on Earth where permanent snow and glaciers exist right at the Equator, capping the majestic Rwenzori Mountains.

• 3. Double National Park Territory

  It stands out as the only district in Uganda that plays host to two major national parks: Queen Elizabeth National Park and the Rwenzori Mountains National Park.

• 4. The Copper & Cobalt Capital

  For decades, Kasese served as the industrial heartbeat of western Uganda thanks to the historic Kilembe Mines, which hold some of Africa’s largest deposits of copper and cobalt.

• 5. A Lake of Salt

  Kasese houses Lake Katwe, a unique explosion crater lake where locals have traditionally mined rock salt for centuries using authentic evaporation pans.

• 6. The Gateway to the DRC

  The Mpondwe border post in Kasese is one of Uganda’s busiest land borders, serving as a vital trade gateway to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

After years of producing music under Feffe Bussi Music (FBM), producer D’Mario has taken the next step in his career by opening his own recording studio.

The move marks the end of his partnership with the rapper Feffe Bussi, although D’Mario insists they parted ways without any bad blood.

I came this side to kickstart my business. The equipment was mine, but I joined to work with FBM and left in peace.

D’Mario explained that the equipment he moved into his new studio has always belonged to him. He said he only integrated it into the FBM setup while working alongside Feffe Bussi.

As he establishes his own brand, the Legend Production producer plans to continue working with a variety of artists instead of remaining attached to one camp.

He also shed light on the financial arrangement they maintained throughout their partnership. According to D’Mario, Feffe Bussi earned between 20 and 30 percent from some production projects, while artists brought in by the rapper generated a 50 percent share.

Now operating independently, D’Mario says both he and Feffe Bussi remain focused on growing their respective careers.

Success on stage often comes with sacrifices behind the scenes, and Vinka says motherhood has been her biggest balancing act yet.

The Swangz Avenue singer recently reflected on life after welcoming her daughter in 2021, revealing that she returned to work after breastfeeding for four months because of the demands of her music career.

One of those commitments took her to South Sudan for a performance that promoters had booked before she gave birth.

I started questioning whether what I was doing as a mother and what my child would think of me. Balancing is the hardest thing, but with time you get used to it.

Vinka said she now prefers leaving her daughter at home whenever she travels for work instead of taking her along.

Although she once travelled with her to Los Angeles for a performance, handling both motherhood and professional responsibilities at the same time proved exhausting.

Motherhood and work, balancing all that is very hard, but we try.

Vinka says she continues to navigate both worlds, learning how to give her daughter the attention she deserves while keeping her music career moving forward.

Relatives of the Kadongo Kamu legend Paul Kafeero have begun searching for land where the excluded claimants in the recent DNA test can settle, saying they want to give them a place to call home despite the test results.

The initiative comes weeks after DNA testing confirmed only four of the people who claimed to be Kafeero’s children as his biological offspring.

Nende Abubaker, accompanied by local land brokers, spent the day inspecting several pieces of land in Nkokonjeru.

Their search started in Mada Village before they moved to Salye Village, where they identified land they believe suits the group’s needs.

The mission is to ensure that these kids settle somewhere.

Negotiations with the landowners were still ongoing at the time of reporting as the group worked to agree on a purchase price. According to Nende, they hope to acquire about 20 acres.

Their next hurdle will be raising the money needed to buy the land. To achieve that goal, they plan to organize a fundraising concert.

Nende explained that the individuals chose the Bukunja area because they want to live near Kafeero’s burial site, allowing them to look after it whenever necessary.

Karim Ntegge, who previously organized Kafeero’s concerts, said supporting them is a responsibility he feels he owes his late friend. Several residents also welcomed the initiative and praised the effort to help the group settle.

Jim Iyke says there was a time when he believed the overwhelming attention from fans made him special.

The veteran Nollywood actor recalled people crying and even fainting whenever he walked into a room, admitting that he mistook their admiration for something far greater than it really was.

When you extol yourself to god-like status when you think you should be worshipped or the laws should not apply to you anymore, you are literally worshipped. I have been there. I have seen people cry when I walked into a room and I look at them and I think I am special. No you are not.

Looking back, Iyke says that experience taught him one of the biggest dangers of celebrity culture.

It also shaped the way he now views the entertainment industry.

During a conversation with media personality Joey Akan, the actor argued that the business often celebrates self above everything else, making it difficult for people to stay grounded in their faith.

There is no bigger enabler than the entertainment industry. This is where demons live. Entertainment is totally created and orchestrated to extol the virtues of Satanism.

For Iyke, the problem is not creativity itself. He believes the trouble begins when creatives start chasing their own glory instead of the One who gave them the gift.

As a creative, to create is to mimic God. But in the entertainment structure many serve self. You cannot serve God and serve self. That is a conflict of interest. Serving self is satanism itself.

That, he says, is why anyone who wants to keep God at the centre of their life must make a deliberate choice, regardless of the pressures that come with fame.

What in the entertainment industry glorifies God except you intentionally or consciously pursue him? Is it the blatant life? What do we extol that is godly? I am not saying God doesn’t exist in the entertainment industry, I am saying the entertainment industry is predominantly created for satanism.

Years after reaching the height of his fame, Jim Iyke says he measures success differently.

Rather than the applause of fans, he believes finding God is the greatest achievement anyone can experience.

Once you find your place with God, you will understand what is special. What is special is being able to find God in this place that is devoid of his presence.

In many churches, congregants affectionately refer to their spiritual leaders as “Mama” and “Papa.”

Pastor Isaac Rwomushana, however, believes the practice has no place in Christian leadership.

During an interview on Sanyuka Uncut, Rwomushana called on believers to address pastors by their names, arguing that titles should never become more important than the message pastors preach.

Calling leaders in church Mama and Papa is not called for. Call them their names.

The preacher argued that some ministers have become too comfortable with the honor and recognition that accompany church leadership.

In his view, that mindset encourages people to elevate pastors instead of focusing on Christ.

Rwomushana said church leaders should distinguish themselves through humility, integrity, and service rather than through titles that set them apart from the congregation.

He maintained that every believer stands equal before God, making faithful leadership far more important than honorifics.

Although many Christians use “Mama” and “Papa” to express respect and spiritual affection, Rwomushana believes those qualities should shine through a pastor’s conduct, not through the title people use to address them.