Africa-Press – Uganda. State Minister for Microfinance Haruna Kasolo has been formally nominated to contest for the position of National Resistance Movement (NRM) Vice Chairperson for Central Region, signaling the start of a fierce internal contest ahead of the party’s top leadership elections.
Kasolo’s nomination, held in Kampala, was marked by a show of political force as he was accompanied by former Vice Presidents Prof. Gilbert Bukenya and Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi—an alliance that observers say could reshape the balance of power within the party’s Central Region leadership.
In a speech following his nomination, Kasolo pledged to restore the NRM’s waning influence in Buganda, saying the region needs a leader with grassroots credibility and commitment to addressing local grievances.
“The Central Region needs someone who can speak and mobilise the people, and that person is Kasolo,” he declared. “We need to speak to the people and win them back to the NRM.”
Kasolo singled out land disputes as a major source of disaffection, stressing that Buganda’s trust in the ruling party has eroded due to unresolved land grabbing concerns.
“We need someone who is able to solve the land grabbing issues in Buganda. That person can only be me—I have no record whatsoever in land grabbing,” he said, tapping into what has become a politically explosive issue in the region.
Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, once the face of NRM’s push in Buganda, threw his full weight behind Kasolo, calling him the right candidate to steer the region back to political relevance.
“Buganda is central to NRM. We need to get back to the table where decisions are made, where there is development—and only Kasolo can take the region back to that table,” Bukenya said.
Edward Ssekandi, who served as vice president from 2011 to 2021, stood silently by Kasolo’s side but his presence was seen as an implicit endorsement of the challenger’s bid.
The backing of the two former vice presidents has added gravitas to Kasolo’s campaign, raising speculation that the challenge to incumbent Godfrey Kiwanda is not only personal but symbolic of deeper internal shifts within the ruling party.
Kiwanda, a former tourism minister and a known mobiliser for President Museveni in Buganda, was also nominated to defend his position, setting up a head-to-head contest between two influential party figures with sharply contrasting political styles.
While Kiwanda is seen as charismatic and media-savvy, Kasolo has positioned himself as a grassroots fixer with a clean reputation, particularly on contentious land matters.
The Central Region, especially Buganda, has grown increasingly politically competitive in recent years, with opposition parties making gains in urban and peri-urban areas.
NRM’s internal leadership choices in the region are expected to play a crucial role in determining how it performs in the 2026 general elections.
Analysts say the Kasolo-Kiwanda face-off could serve as a litmus test for the NRM’s ability to adapt and rebrand in a region where loyalty is no longer guaranteed.
Voting for the party’s regional vice chairpersons is expected in the coming weeks as part of the broader NRM internal electoral process.
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