As the 2021 elections draw closer, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party is positioning itself to maintain its dominance of Ugandan politics. The party’s rivals are put on notice that failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
Faced with a thankless challenge of organising the elections by keeping the schedule intact during Covid-19, a daunting task that involves mobilising resources while fending off spoilers who do not want elections to be held, the NRM government deserves, at the very least, everybody’s goodwill and cooperation.
In the midst of characteristic opportunistic antagonism and Covid-19 disruption, NRM stands to benefit from the situation by adapting its internal systems to shield it against pressures from many angles. Recently, the Central Executive Committee (C.E.C) endorsed a strategic roadmap that proves how resilient the party is. Faced with the difficulty of campaigning “scientifically” as opposed to the traditional way of touching base with its masses, the party top organ quickly worked out a plan that would maintain the party’s touch with its broad base while safeguarding the lives of Ugandans amidst the pandemic’s onslaught.
For avoidance of doubt, NRM’s priority is protecting the lives of Ugandans; elections are important but life is paramount and invaluable-it is irreplaceable when lost. That is how the idea of “hybrid” elections arose, to preserve and protect the lives of Ugandans while fulfilling a cardinal procedure in democratic governance-holding elections. NRM will not hold mass rallies including the usual delegates’ conference but will still raise its mandate by holding well measured and regulated meetings physically and using modern apps to minimise people-to-people interaction. NRM has always been prepared for virtual operations, our party having been the first to launch its own website in 2005; in 2011, our candidate for president, Yoweri Museveni, was the first to use mass SMS broadcasts to reach the public, on top of composing and outing his own campaign songs “You want another rap” and “Mpa enkoni”. NRM also upgraded its systems to the digital realm, saving party membership registers in clouds and other computerizing its systems, a process which is still ongoing.
With that new reality of conducting political business sorted, despite the obvious inconveniences, it is time to head for the objective without further ado. All NRM teams are called upon to put aside their differences and contestations and work for the success of the party using the novel methods identified as the safest link with the masses-that is, media platforms.
Pre-campaign returns show that the party has been growing its numbers of recent. People are defecting in huge numbers to join NRM from the opposition after realising the bubble that dissenter politics is all about. They have looked at the confusion in FDC, DP and others and realised that even at the very worst, NRM remains the only viable option. The opposition is losing ground in strongholds in Eastern and Northern Uganda while in Central region they are at each other’s neck, unsure how to move against NRM.
Before Covid-19, they were counting on drawn out incitement to try and overwhelm the state working with foreign agents. But Covid-19 has supplemented President Trump’s effort in “draining the swamp”, which has left the local groups stranded and their true weight measured. We expect more defections in our favour, including those of surprising names.
Dr. Besigye, Bobi Wine, Ssemujju Nganda, Nabilla Naggayi, Abdu Katuntu, Nobert Mao, Jack Sabiiti, Abed Bwanika, and all the visible actors and influencers in our politics, you are welcome to the NRM bus/ship! There is enough space to accommodate everyone and their ideas for the benefit of the common person.
That’s how it came to be that the famous “rebel MPs” realised their folly and decided to get back to the NRM mainstream where all views are accommodated-so long as they are raised correctly. On the contrary, we are witnessing FDC mistreating those who disagree with its internal mechanisms yet all the while questioning NRM’s credentials.
NRM members should not worry about anything; Covid-19 is not a problem in regard to our fortunes at the elections. What should worry us is how prepared we are to keep as one, send a strong collective voice, mobilise everybody using our traditional amiable approach as opposed to the forceful way of our opponents; deeply understand NRM’s manifesto and other commitments to Ugandans, turn up to vote in commanding numbers and look out for dirty games by the other side.
NRM is known as a “silent majority” party which springs to life during elections, and that is true. There is time for everything; there is time for politicking (which is heightened during elections) and time for work (which is the period in between elections, during which the general populace throws their energy in national development and personal livelihood programmes. Stung by Covid-19, we have learnt to structure our time and resources in order to survive for another day. Let us safely complete the election season and go on to take Uganda to the next level.
The author is a Presidential Assistant in Charge of Media Management
Contact: kirundaf2@gmail.com
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