Can the NRM be saved? Rwabwogo opens a family debate

What the report says

The Observer reports that Odrek Rwabwogo, President Yoweri Museveni’s son-in-law, has renewed debate inside Uganda’s ruling establishment by arguing that the country cannot achieve rapid economic growth if citizens are afraid to speak openly. In remarks tied to Museveni’s stated goal of building a $500 billion economy within 14 years, Rwabwogo said civic freedom, rule of law and public confidence are practical requirements for investment and industrialisation, not merely political ideals.

According to the report, Rwabwogo warned that fear and suppressed opinion weaken institutions, and he linked free expression to the ability to attract capital, process minerals and agricultural products, and expand power generation. He also referred to earlier concerns he had raised about torture, killings, electoral malpractice and the militarisation of politics, saying these internal problems threaten stability.

The comments drew support and criticism. Human-rights lawyer Dr Sarah Bireete welcomed the appeal for more open civic debate, saying democracy is strengthened when citizens speak without intimidation and within the law. David Kabanda, Kasambya County MP and executive secretary of the Patriotic League of Uganda, questioned Rwabwogo’s motives and accused him of trying to reposition himself politically without accounting for his role within the system.

The Observer presents the exchange as part of a wider struggle over the future of the National Resistance Movement and the growing influence of the Patriotic League of Uganda. Rwabwogo argued that the NRM can still be renewed through political education, a return to founding values and decentralising authority to district structures. Critics quoted in the article said such reform calls have come too late and suggested the ruling party has already been overtaken by newer power centres.