Kadaga: I Am the Most Senior Female Leader, Why Step Aside for a Junior?

Rt. Hon. Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga has issued a strong appeal to National Resistance Movement (NRM) delegates, urging them to respect loyalty, seniority, and party structures as she seeks re-election as First National Vice Chairperson (Female).

Kadaga, a long-serving member of the NRM since 1989, contrasted her decades of service with her rival, Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Annet Anita Among, who joined the party only three years ago. She argued that fast-tracking newcomers into senior positions undermines the values that have held the Movement together.

“Our guidelines are clear when you seek office, you must show what you have done for the Movement in the last ten years. Why then should someone who has barely served three years rush to the top of the Movement?” Kadaga asked.

She highlighted her record of service, from grassroots leadership as RC1 Chairperson in Bugabula to Speaker of Parliament and currently First Deputy Prime Minister. Kadaga also emphasized her role in defending the NRM’s positions in Parliament, promoting Uganda internationally, and supporting regional integration.

Her remarks, however, carried a clear warning. She cautioned that pushing her into a contest could create political rifts. “If this matter goes to contest, it will cause serious problems in my community. People will think the party is fighting me, not simply engaging in competition,” she said.

Kadaga also criticized what she sees as unhealthy concentration of power, alluding to Among’s bid while holding the Speaker’s position. “Would we allow one person to sit in two high offices? It is unfair and unhealthy for the Movement to concentrate such power in one person,” she said.

Her comments reflect wider concerns within the NRM about whether the party still prioritizes loyalty and long service, or whether rising figures can bypass seniority through political influence.

“This is not just about me. It is about the values of the NRM—commitment, loyalty, patience, and respect for structures. If those values are ignored, then what message are we sending to the membership and to the country?” Kadaga added.

Analysts suggest Kadaga’s warning underscores growing internal tensions in the NRM, where the balance between rewarding loyalty and accommodating new power centers remains a delicate issue.

Kadaga closed by reaffirming her loyalty to President Museveni and the Movement. “I remain committed to the NRM and to serving under your leadership,” she said.