Before the jailing of catholic priest Rev. Fr. Deusdedit Ssekabira, the NRM party members in the greater Masaka sub region were already sharply split into camps, arising from the disputed outcome of the internal party primary elections that left several party members with a resolve to run as independent candidates come January 15, 2026 elections.
Rev. Fr. Ssekabira’s continued incarceration just added salt to the already proven injury, exposing the once ruling party’s political strong hold candidates, to the high risk of losing a very few parliamentary seats left under its control in the forthcoming elections, that had survived the NUP political wave that swept the sub region during the 2021 elections
Blazer News Times has exclusively learned from the highly placed sources in the party, that the flurry of NRM cadre divisions is reflected with the frost relationship between the newly elected vice chairperson for Buganda region also the micro finance state minister Hajji Haruna Kyeyune Kasolo and Justine Nameere who is holding the party flag for Masaka district MP candidate.
Genesis of the Division.
Born of the feud between the two according to reliable sources is Nameere’s open declared support to Moses Karangwa who hails in Kayunga to defeat her sub region political neighbor minister Kasolo as his closet challenger for the NRM party vice chairperson -Buganda region, which has never settled.
In Kalungu East according to sources, Nameere’s father the former defence and veteran affairs minister Vincent Bamulanzeki Ssempijja who is an official party flag bearer there is at logger head with the state minister for water also incumbent MP Aisha Ssekindi, running as an independent candidate for Kalungu district woman MP seat against NRM’s official candidate Hellen Nakeeya, a vendor at Lukaya road toll market.
Ssempijja is facing stiff competition from the NUP’s youthful MP aspirant Yusuf Kiruuruuta who defeated the incumbent now fighting for his return as an independent, Francis Katabaazi from their internal primary elections, while Ssekindi and Nakeeya are facing off with NUP’s Shakirah Nammiiro Zzinga and DF’s Aisha Waliggo.
At first according to insiders, minister Ssekindi and Ssempijja were in cordial relationship dating back to the days when Ssempijja was still a cabinet minister, and it was around this time that Ssempijja supported his political nemesis to be voted to parliament.
Sources say that, the dual’s relationship become complicated according to sources when Ssekindi quit Ssempijja’s camp during the 2021 elections, sparking accusations that she had connived with NUP leaders to survive their political wave.
Ssekindi shunned the July 2025 NRM party primary elections upon detecting that there was a a well hatched plot by her political nemesis to rig her out.
This has ever since escalated tensions, sparking political cronyism that has elusively and adversely impacted vote mobilization for the ruling party in the predominantly opposition strong hold.
This according to sources, was evident during the NRM party presidential candidate incumbent Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s campaigns in the greater Masaka sub region towards the Christmas break.
Museveni Regional Rallies Affected by the NRM Cadre Bickering.
In Kalungu, Blazer News Times has established from reliable sources that despite being a none sponsored official NRM party flag bearer, independent candidate Ssekindi had stolen the show at Mzee’s campaign rally when her highly charged supporters turned hecklers of Ssempijja and Nakeeya while singing songs chanting that they did not want the party ticket but Ssekindi, disparaging the official party flag bearers that they should use the party flags they hold as bed coverings.
They had first attempted to smuggle Ssekindi to be handed the flag by president Museveni, but when this failed they resorted to changing its day order.
The situation was not any different in Lyantonde according to insiders, only that here the independents versus the party flag bearers never gained access to the microphone to vent out their concerns.
In Masaka city, mobilization for the party was being carried out divisively with each camp singly focusing on their own, according to sources.
It has also emerged from insiders that the NRM party chairman for Masaka city is not in good relationship with the party regional vice chairperson minister Kasolo, which has posed serious effect on the mobilization efforts for the party.
Fr. Ssekabira Jailing Worsens the NRM Party Vote in Masaka.
Sources have told this Website that the relationship between the catholic church in Masaka and the ruling NRM party leadership is very bitter following the incarceration of its area priest Rev. Fr. Ssekabira.
Fr. Ssekabira a curate at Bumagi Parish-Masaka diocese, is facing charges of money laundering contrary to Sections 3(b), 119, and 139(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, following his detention preceded by his disappearance in December 3rd, before the UPDF spokesperson could confirm in the statement that he was under their custody.
Col Magezi’s response was after the diocesan head Bishop Serverus Jjumba pinned the military for having been privy to his disappearance in the statement.
Now sources say that, when the NRM party presidential candidate held his campaign rally in Masaka city, the catholic church diocese shunned it without sending there any representative, a sign of no confidence in the state incarceration action of its priest.
As a result, according to sources, the party’s vote mobilization efforts in the region highly dominated by the catholics were worsened.
According to insiders, it was evident with the low turn up of the people at the Masaka president campaign rally, throwing the party leaders in panic.
When Nameere given a chance to address president Museveni, she blamed the low turn up to what she called the NRM party supporter’s intimidation by the opposition, prompting the president to issue a stern warning against the said act.
Some party supporters in the region have since then however expressed concern over what they call feeding the president with wrong information, due to accountability lapses.
As the January 15, 2026 polls draw closer, the NRM party is facing an up heal task to knock the opposition out of Masaka and get back into its driving seat if nothing changes.
