KAMPALA, Uganda — The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Central Executive Committee (CEC), chaired by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, has endorsed a mix of veteran leaders and youthful politicians for key party and parliamentary positions as the ruling party prepares to consolidate its leadership in the 12th Parliament and fill vacant regional legislative seats.
The decisions were made during an emergency CEC meeting held at State House Entebbe on July 3, where the party approved several special nominees and selected its candidates for the Parliamentary Commission ahead of the NRM Parliamentary Caucus meeting and elections for vacant seats in the East African Legislative Assembly.
Among the notable appointments was former Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, whose nomination signals the party’s continued reliance on experienced leaders in its top decision-making structures.
The CEC also endorsed Lenia Charity Kevin, one of Uganda’s youngest Members of Parliament and a former member of the opposition National Unity Platform, for a special position within the party leadership. Reports indicate she is among four special nominees approved by the committee following her nomination by President Museveni.
Three women MPs nominated as Parliamentary Commissioners
The meeting also endorsed three first-term women legislators to serve as the NRM’s nominees to the Parliamentary Commission, the body responsible for the administration and management of Parliament.
The nominees are; Susan Jolly Abeja, Faith Nakut and Jesca Ababiku.
The appointments were confirmed following the CEC meeting and are expected to be presented to the NRM Parliamentary Caucus for endorsement before formal consideration by Parliament.
The Parliamentary Commission oversees Parliament’s administration, staffing, budget and welfare of Members of Parliament, making the positions among the most influential within the legislature.
Blend of experience and youth
Political observers say the latest appointments reflect the NRM’s effort to balance institutional experience with a younger generation of leaders as the party positions itself for the new parliamentary term.
The return of Rugunda to a prominent party role preserves the institutional memory of one of the NRM’s longest-serving leaders, while Lenia Charity’s elevation highlights the party’s strategy of promoting youthful politicians into national leadership structures.
The nomination of Abeja, Nakut and Ababiku also strengthens female representation within Parliament’s leadership and gives first-term legislators significant administrative responsibilities early in their parliamentary careers.
Focus shifts to caucus elections
Attention now turns to the NRM Parliamentary Caucus, which is scheduled to meet to elect its executive committee and fill two vacant Ugandan seats in the East African Legislative Assembly.
According to Government Chief Whip Jane Ruth Aceng, the caucus meeting will also consider the party’s endorsed candidates for various parliamentary positions before they are presented to the House.
The latest decisions underscore President Museveni’s continued influence over the ruling party’s leadership structures as the NRM seeks to shape both its internal organisation and Parliament’s governance during the 12th Parliament.
