Speaker Among: Parliament Will Only Engage on Criminal Matters in NRM Primaries

By Alex Don

Kampala, Uganda | Parliament News Desk  Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among, has clarified Parliament’s position on the recent controversies surrounding the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party primaries. Addressing MPs during Tuesday’s plenary session, Speaker Among stated that Parliament will not involve itself in the internal affairs of the ruling party but will allow law enforcement to handle any criminal elements that may have emerged.

Her remarks followed growing concerns from both opposition and NRM MPs regarding reports of violence, voter bribery, and alleged manipulation of results in the recently concluded party primaries across various constituencies.

Parliament will not engage in internal party management issues. However, where there are elements of criminality—violence, intimidation, or electoral offenses—these matters fall under the purview of the Uganda Police and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Speaker Among affirmed.

She added that the Ministry of Internal Affairs (@mia_uga), under its mandate, will be tasked to investigate any acts that violate the law, regardless of political affiliation. However, she cautioned MPs and the public against expecting Parliament to arbitrate party disputes.

Each party has its structures and internal processes for handling grievances. Ours is to ensure that no citizen’s rights are violated and that the law is respected. She added

The statement comes after some MPs had attempted to table a motion urging Parliament to investigate irregularities in the NRM primaries, citing widespread dissatisfaction among candidates and voters.

Political analysts have commended the Speaker’s approach as a balanced response that respects the separation of powers and upholds democratic principles within political parties.

Meanwhile, the NRM Electoral Commission continues to review petitions from aggrieved candidates, while security agencies have begun looking into reports of election-related violence in several districts.