By Geoffrey Osborn Oceng
Resident District Commissioner, Amuru
PhD Candidate, Gulu University
Context
Uganda’s population is about 75% youthful, and this demographic will be a decisive factor in the January 12, 2026 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. Nearly 95% of these young people were born after the 1986 NRA bush war that brought President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and his comrades to power. Most of them have never known any other government besides the NRM. While the majority are educated, many remain unemployed, making them vulnerable to manipulation during tense political seasons.
Ideology vs. Materialism
The recently concluded NRM primaries, which culminated in the delegates’ conference, revealed a sharp departure from the way the party has historically conducted elections. There has been a noticeable shift from ideology-driven politics to materialism, threatening cadre identification, mentorship, and grooming. This ultimately affects the quality of leadership needed to address Uganda’s governance challenges.
Money played a central role in determining key positions, particularly within the Central Executive Committee.
The Vice Chairperson Race – Northern Uganda
When results for the NRM Vice Chairperson (Northern Region) were announced, Rt. Hon. Dan Fred Kidega — a seasoned politician, former Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly, and candidate with over three decades of leadership experience — finished a distant third. He garnered only 658 votes (12.3%), while the eventual winner, Hon. Denis Hamson Obua, secured 3,591 votes (67%).
This outcome surprised many but confirmed the growing influence of money in NRM’s internal elections. Over the last three electoral cycles, the extravagant use of money has increasingly overshadowed credible leadership qualities such as integrity, experience, and service delivery.
Candidates reportedly spent heavily on transporting and accommodating delegates, distributing cash handouts and gifts such as mobile phones and tablets, paying for media publicity, and financing extensive mobilization efforts. Anecdotal evidence suggests that aspirants for senior party positions spent between UGX 800 million and UGX 2 billion. This sidelines candidates with strong ideas and experience but limited financial muscle.
Reports from civil society organizations monitoring elections since 2006 confirm the trend of commercialization in Ugandan politics. This is reflected in vote-buying, lavish campaign spending often funded through loans or property sales, and transactional loyalty where voters expect immediate material benefits.
For example, a CEPA report on the 2011 elections showed that the NRM spent UGX 1 trillion, more than the national health budget at the time. Today, individual MP candidates spend between UGX 800 million and UGX 2 billion, making politics a game for the wealthy while undermining patriotic leadership and service delivery. This creates financial indiscipline, as leaders assume office burdened by debt, and undermines meritocracy by excluding credible leaders like Rt. Hon. Kidega.
Poverty as a Political Handicap – The Acholi Sub-region
Rt. Hon. Kidega hails from the Acholi sub-region, a region ravaged by two decades of war. Although peace returned in 2006 after the inconclusive Juba peace talks, post-war recovery challenges persist: youth unemployment, land wrangles, low agricultural productivity, and high poverty levels.
Today, 20.5% of residents live below the poverty line, surviving on less than $1 a day. Poverty in the region rose from 33.4% in 2016/17 to 67.7% in 2019/20, despite an estimated UGX 70 billion invested in post-war recovery programs.
In this context, NRM delegates from Acholi were highly vulnerable to manipulation and vote-buying. Political engagement has become transactional, with communities prioritizing material incentives over policy. This environment disadvantaged Rt. Hon. Kidega, whose campaign was rooted in ideology and service but could not compete with financially powerful rivals.
Poverty, Politics, and Exclusion
Kidega’s loss reflects a broader national crisis undermining Uganda’s political culture. Devoted and visionary cadres are excluded by processes dominated by money. Poverty conditions voters to expect immediate material handouts, while financially weak but capable leaders are sidelined.
This commercialization of politics favors candidates with access to state resources or wealthy backers. The result is elite capture, weak democratic accountability, deepening regional inequalities, and erosion of cadre mentorship and loyalty within the NRM.
Way Forward
Breaking this cycle requires deliberate efforts. The NRM must invest in cadre identification, mentorship, retention, and ideological training. There is also a need for civic awareness programs to educate citizens on responsible political participation. Campaign finance reforms should be enacted and enforced to cap spending and ensure transparency. At the same time, the Acholi sub-region must be economically transformed through mechanized agriculture to reduce poverty and foster political inclusion.
