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President Yoweri Museveni being welcomed by the minister for presidency, Hon. Milly Babalanda and other National Resistance Movement-NRM leaders at Iringa primary school, in Buyende district. URN President Yoweri Museveni has warned politicians against creatin
President Yoweri Museveni being welcomed by the minister for presidency, Hon. Milly Babalanda and other National Resistance Movement-NRM leaders at Iringa primary school, in Buyende district.
URN
President Yoweri Museveni has warned politicians against creating political camps within the National Resistance Movement (NRM), saying such divisions undermine the party’s core values. Museveni made the remarks over the weekend during a Thanksgiving ceremony organized by the Minister for the Presidency, Milly Babalanda, at Iringa Primary School in Nkondo Sub County, Buyende District.
The president was responding to Babalanda’s declaration that she is not affiliated with any NRM political camp, either in Busoga or nationally. Babalanda explained that her political independence has allowed her to serve Ugandans selflessly, without any bias or external influence.
She noted that staying neutral has shielded her from saboteurs who often leverage political camps to frustrate service delivery. Babalanda emphasized that she is focused on fulfilling presidential assignments for the benefit of all Ugandans, without relying on "kingmakers" or political sponsors with personal agendas.
Her continued neutrality, she added, has protected her from what she termed the "pull-her-down syndrome" — rivalries within political camps aimed at achieving supremacy. In his remarks, Museveni criticized political camps for creating unnecessary divisions, which distract party members from the shared goal of transforming Uganda into a self-sustaining economy.
He cited his early political experience, saying his disagreement with former political parties like Kabaka Yekka, UPC, and DP was based on their sectarianism rooted in religion and tribalism — a stance contrary to NRM principles of patriotism, pan-Africanism, social transformation, and democracy.
Museveni urged NRM members to prioritize ideological principles over individualism. He emphasized that the party’s goals are already defined, and the task is to identify who can deliver on them best. He added that a meeting with the NRM top leadership will soon be convened to address the issue of political camps.
In recent years, the Busoga sub-region has seen the rise of rival political camps, especially among NRM members. These camps were primarily aligned to former Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga and her rival, former NRM Secretary General Justine Lumumba.
The rivalry, often marked by open displays of supremacy, evolved into symbolic camps dubbed "Team Israel" (Kadaga’s supporters) and "Team Palestine" (Lumumba’s supporters). This was first evident during the NRM contest for the National Vice Chairperson (Female) slot, where "Team Palestine" backed Minister Persis Namuganza against Kadaga. Kadaga emerged victorious.
The rivalry later extended to the race for Speaker of Parliament, where Busoga MPs who had supported Namuganza aligned with the late Jacob Oulanyah. Kadaga’s loss in this race was claimed as a victory by the "Palestine" camp.
The tension culminated during a thanksgiving event for Kamuli Municipality MP Baroda Watongola, which was attended by Oulanyah. At that event, Lumumba stated that Oulanyah’s election had ushered in a new political atmosphere in Busoga — one that would see more equitable distribution of government resources across the region's 11 districts and Jinja City.
Following Oulanyah’s untimely death, the rivalry appeared to ease. A major reconciliation between Kadaga and Namuganza saw the two organize a joint tourism trail to promote Busoga’s tourism potential. This cooperation temporarily silenced the rival camps, as both influential leaders agreed to work together. However, the truce appears short-lived.
Two new political camps have since emerged: “Team Mama,” aligned with Kadaga, and “Team Mulamu,” backing current Speaker of Parliament Anita Among. These camps clashed in the recently concluded NRM structure elections, each claiming majority support in Busoga.
Their rivalry is once again taking center stage ahead of the NRM Vice Chairperson (Female) race, where Kadaga is set to face off against Among. Both camps have intensified their campaigns across WhatsApp groups and regional meetings. “Team Mulamu” recently circulated photos of Busoga-based NRM chairpersons meeting Among, reportedly to endorse her candidature. In response, “Team Mama” also convened a meeting with NRM delegates from Busoga at the Civil Service College in Jinja City to rally support for Kadaga.