President Yoweri Museveni, who also serves as Chairman of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), has commended former parliamentary aspirants Michael Tusiime and Bonnie Kashaija for choosing unity over division after losing in the party primaries.
The two leaders met the President on Thursday in the company of Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amb. Adonia Ayebare, where they pledged continued loyalty to the ruling party.
Museveni described their decision not to run as independents as an act of patriotism that safeguarded cohesion within the NRM.
“I want to thank Hon. Michael Tusiime and Hon. Bonnie Kashaija for patriotically agreeing not to stand for elections as independents in order not to divide our people. They have told me their grievances even from a criminal angle and I am going to check and follow up. I also thank Amb. Adonia for bringing them to me,” Museveni said.
In recognition of their loyalty, the President appointed Kashaija to supervise the Parish Development Model (PDM) in Mbarara, taking over from Joverine Kaliisa.
He further revealed that Tusiime would soon be deployed in a similar role to boost grassroots development and mobilization.
Tusiime, the outgoing MP for Mbarara City North who lost to Mwesigwa Rukaari, expressed appreciation for the President’s willingness to hear their concerns.
“I want to thank His Excellency the President for giving us an opportunity to share issues related to Mbarara and the country at large. We have agreed, in principle, for the good of the nation and the party, to work together to support NRM and to use every available opportunity to educate our people to get out of poverty, protect the gains of NRM, and consolidate the achievements so far,” Tusiime said.
Kashaija, who previously served as the NRM flagbearer for Mbarara City Woman MP in 2021 and lost in the recent primaries, pledged to use her new role to advance household income growth.
“I will work tirelessly to promote NRM and the well-being of our people. I will champion the four-acre model so that it reaches the grassroots and lifts people out of poverty by increasing household incomes in every village,” she said.
Museveni concluded the meeting by assuring the leaders that their grievances would be addressed fairly and transparently.
He stressed that their preference for dialogue over confrontation was an example of unity that would strengthen the NRM as the party prepares for the 2026 general elections.
