PHILLIP R. ONGADIA: NRM Consolidates Grassroots Support with Wins in Women Council and Administrative Unit Elections

What the report says

Watchdog Uganda published an opinion piece by Phillip R. Ongadia arguing that the National Resistance Movement’s performance in Uganda’s recent Women Council and Administrative Unit elections shows it still retains strong grassroots support. The article says the results across many districts contradict claims that the ruling party has lost popularity and suggests the outcome reflects long-standing NRM investment in village, parish and local leadership structures.

The commentary places the elections in the context of earlier delays, which it says were linked by government to financial constraints and were also interpreted by opposition figures as a sign of weakening support. In Ongadia’s view, the eventual voting offered another test of public confidence, with many local positions reportedly going to NRM candidates. He frames this as evidence that politics at the lower levels remains important in Uganda and that parties are judged not only by national contests but also by their local organization.

The piece also argues that electoral wins should be followed by accountability and service delivery. It points to government programmes such as the Parish Development Model, Emyooga and the GROW Project as key measures of whether local leaders can improve incomes and reduce poverty. Ongadia says corruption, poor supervision and political interference could undermine those efforts, while effective implementation would strengthen trust in public institutions.

More broadly, the article presents the elections as a reminder that grassroots leaders are central to communication between citizens and government. It calls for peaceful political competition, stronger oversight and visible results in areas such as roads, schools, health care and jobs. This is opinion from the named contributor, not a Watchdog Uganda news report.