Eng. Jonard Asiimwe Akiiki, a candidate for the position of NRM Vice Chairperson for Western Uganda, has emphasized the need for ideological clarity, electoral hygiene, and structural reform within the party’s top leadership body, the Central Executive Committee (CEC).
Speaking during a televised interview on Wednesday, Akiiki criticized the culture of money-based campaigning, stating:
“There is a difference between having money and misusing it. It’s not right to meet people and distribute money as a way of campaigning.”
The engineer-turned-politician also commented on the ongoing CEC race, noting that while the contest has been largely predictable due to his experience within the party structures, there remain unresolved challenges.
“Since I have been part of the NRM structures, I haven’t really seen any shocks in the CEC race. However, the electoral hygiene still needs some work,” he observed.
Akiiki further argued that the NRM’s top organ should maintain ideological discipline and long-term planning rather than becoming entangled in active elective politics. He suggested that in the future, members of the CEC should refrain from holding other elective positions.
“CEC is more of a kitchen or laboratory. I think in the near future, CEC members shouldn’t be part of elective politics so that their focus is clear,” he said.
Using a vivid analogy, Akiiki added:
“If you have a kitchen at home and you allow your chefs to be in the sitting room all the time and dine with guests, you shouldn’t be surprised if the chef serves burnt food.”
He stressed that the CEC should not become symbolic or disconnected, but should play an active role in strengthening party structures across the country.
“CEC is supposed to align and keep party structures upright. You can’t tell me you are a CEC member and you spend five years without meeting your regional party heads.”
Akiiki, whose career spans the petroleum, infrastructure, and mining sectors, presents himself as a technocrat grounded in grassroots service. He holds multiple degrees including a Master’s in Oil and Gas Governance and is currently pursuing a PhD in stakeholder engagement. His track record includes community-driven projects across Bunyoro, Karamoja, Busia, and Central Uganda — from football sponsorships to textbook distribution and civic radio programming.
He has worked as a consultant on major infrastructure projects, including the Tilenga Oil Project and the Kabaale International Airport, and has advocated for clean industrial technologies such as ESP filters in cement plants. His business conglomerate, Jonard Group, employs hundreds of Ugandan youth across construction, events, and tech sectors.
