President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has reaffirmed his commitment to cleaning up the National Resistance Movement (NRM) internal elections marred by fraud, bribery, and violence, vowing that all grievances will be addressed through proper legal and political channels.
In a strongly worded statement issued Monday, Museveni again condemned what he called the “pollution” (kutokooza) of the July 17th NRM primaries by self-seeking individuals who tampered with results, interfered with registers, and used money and violence to sway outcomes.
“These actions were criminal and also distorting the politics and the law of elections,” he said, noting that the most urgent concern was the criminality of altering official tallies and voter bribery.
The President confirmed that state security and investigative agencies, specifically the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) and the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), have already made arrests and laid criminal charges against those found culpable.
However, he noted that legal and political resolutions are still required for cases involving fraudulently declared flagbearers.
Museveni posed a pointed question to the NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson: “Why doesn’t Tanga Odoi change and announce the proper results?” Highlighting that the primaries were conducted by open lining-up (kuchuunga), he said the real results were known by all voters in broad daylight, and any tampering afterward was an insult to reason and integrity.
“Our lawyers, however, have advised that Tanga Odoi cannot be the one who corrects a mistake that he made,” Museveni explained.
“It is the lawyers’ committee (the Tribunal) that will deal with politics and the law.”
He assured party members and aggrieved aspirants that the Tribunal will be guided by the same facts already considered by ISO and CID in arresting the electoral offenders.
The ultimate goal, he stressed, is to restore the credibility of the process and defend the NRM’s revolutionary heritage.
“Those affected by the mistakes of the mistake-makers should know that their grievances are already being addressed. Everything will be rectified,” Museveni said, urging patience as investigations and legal reviews continue.
