Date: January 8–9, 2026
By Political Correspondent, In a surprising turn of events, NRM supporters have found themselves stranded in Mukono after a Kololo meeting with Janet Museveni.
A section of National Resistance Movement (NRM) supporters attended a meeting with First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Kataaha Museveni, at the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds in Kampala on Wednesday, January 8, 2026. They were left stranded hours later at the Mukono District NRM party offices. NRM supporters stranded in Mukono after the Kololo meeting raised fresh questions about party mobilization, internal accountability, and the treatment of grassroots supporters.
The supporters, most of them women mobilized from Mukono District, told this reporter that they were abandoned by hired transport operators after returning from Kololo. Allegedly, their transport facilitation and allowances were not released by district women leaders who coordinated the trip.
By Thursday night, January 9, 2026, dozens of the supporters remained camped at the Mukono District party offices. They said they had no means to return to their respective homes and were preparing to sleep at the premises. NRM supporters stranded in Mukono hoped for clarification from party officials the following day.
“We were told everything had been arranged. Now the buses have left, and we have no money to go home,” one visibly distressed supporter said.
Promises Made, Supporters Abandoned
According to the stranded supporters, they were mobilized earlier in the week and assured that transport to and from Kololo would be covered. Modest allowances were also promised after the event. The group traveled to Kampala to attend what they described as a party engagement addressed by the First Lady. The focus was on unity, discipline, and the role of women in strengthening the ruling party ahead of upcoming political activities.
However, upon their return to Mukono, the situation reportedly took a dramatic turn.
“They told us to wait as leaders sorted out facilitation. We waited until evening, and then the drivers said they had not been paid,” another supporter recounted.
The supporters allege that district women leaders withheld the funds, leaving transport operators unwilling to complete the return journeys. As night fell, frustration and anger grew among the group. Many of them said they had left children and families at home.
A Night at the Party Offices
When this reporter visited the Mukono District NRM offices on Thursday night, several supporters were seated outside the building. Others lay on the veranda, clutching bags and wrappers to shield themselves from the cold. NRM supporters stranded in Mukono recalled similar incidents from previous mobilizations.
“We are loyal to the party. We came because we were called. This is not how supporters should be treated,” a middle-aged woman said, her voice heavy with disappointment.
Some supporters claimed this was not the first time such an incident had occurred. They argued that facilitation-related disputes have become common during mobilization exercises.
“Every time there is a big meeting, the problem is the same. Leaders eat, and the ordinary supporters suffer,” another supporter remarked.
Silence From District Leaders
Efforts to reach Mukono District women leaders for comment by press time were unsuccessful. However, some local party officials, speaking off record, acknowledged there had been “a breakdown in coordination”. They promised that the matter would be addressed.
An NRM official familiar with the mobilization process said the party leadership takes such complaints seriously. Especially at a time when unity and morale among supporters are considered critical.
“The party cannot afford to alienate its grassroots. These issues must be resolved quickly,” the official said.
Political Implications
The incident comes at a sensitive time for the ruling party, which has been intensifying grassroots engagements across the country. Analysts note that while high-profile meetings project strength and organization, logistical failures at the local level risk undermining the party’s message. NRM supporters stranded in Mukono after the meeting highlight these challenges.
“How a party treats its supporters reflects its internal discipline,” said a political analyst in Kampala. “These are the people who mobilize votes on the ground.”
As of Friday morning, January 10, 2026, the supporters said they were waiting for a response from district leaders. They hoped the issue would be resolved to allow them to return home.
“We only want what we were promised. We are not asking for favors,” one supporter emphasized.
Whether the incident will prompt disciplinary action or reforms in party mobilization remains to be seen. For now, the stranded supporters’ experience has cast an uncomfortable spotlight on the gap between party rhetoric and grassroots realities within Uganda’s ruling political movement.
