Youth leaders in Rukungiri District have appealed to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who also serves as the National Chairman of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), to intervene in the growing divisions within the party in the district.
The appeal follows an NRM stakeholders’ meeting held at Hotel Riverside, Rukungiri, which was convened to address internal wrangles that have escalated since the beginning of the year. The disagreements reportedly involve some of the district’s most prominent party figures, among them Rt. Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi, the Rujumbura County MP and NRM flag bearer; Rtd. Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde, the Rukungiri Municipality NRM flag bearer; Rukungiri District Woman MP Hon. Midius Natukunda Kaharata; current LCV flag bearer Mr. Andrewson Charles Kateebire; senior presidential advisor and renowned NRM mobilizer Madam Peace Rugambwa; and Hon. Rutahigwa.
The meeting, attended by most of these leaders, highlighted the growing rift that has divided the party’s local leadership into two rival camps, popularly referred to as the “Japanese” and the “Chinese.” The “Japanese” camp reportedly includes Hon. Jim Muhwezi, Hon. Rutahigwa, Hon. Midius Natukunda, and incumbent LCV Chairman Mr. Kyomukama Geoffrey.
However, tensions flared during the discussions, with some participants accusing organizers of selectively choosing speakers to favor one side. Some attendees also argued that the meeting was not a balanced platform to resolve deeper issues involving senior party figures, whom they referred to as “the generals.”
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Rukungiri District NRM Youth League Chairman and District Youth Chairperson Tukundane Levi Napoleon said the divisions pose a serious threat to party unity and future progress.
“As youth leaders and the next generation of NRM leadership, we find this ongoing conflict deeply troubling,” Tukundane said. “We humbly appeal for the President’s direct intervention to personally mediate and guide reconciliation. Any attempts at district-level dialogue, without national guidance, may not yield lasting results.”
Tukundane noted that Rukungiri is currently experiencing a period of reduced opposition pressure, with the once-dominant FDC party weakening and the emerging PFF still struggling to gain ground.
“This is the time for NRM to consolidate its unity and strengthen its grassroots influence instead of allowing internal wrangles to create openings for the opposition,” he added.
He urged all party members, especially senior figures, to prioritize dialogue and reconciliation in order to protect the NRM’s legacy in Rukungiri and across the country.
The divisions come at a time when the district, once considered a stronghold of opposition politics, has shown signs of shifting toward the ruling party following years of political realignments and youth mobilization drives.
