As Uganda prepares to mark sixty-four years of independence, its ruling party has issued a call for political tolerance — an appeal that carries the full weight of a nation that knows, from lived memory, what it costs to come apart. The National Resistance Movement, which came to power after decades of coups and conflict, now asks citizens to guard the stability they have built, even as allegations of abductions and political repression cast a shadow over the celebration. It is a moment that asks an old and unresolved question: whether unity proclaimed from above can take root when trust betwe
NRM urges political tolerance ahead of Uganda's 64th Independence Day
Opposition activist Sam Mugumya disappeared following alleged abduction on August 26, 2025, and was later shown in video footage undergoing physical rehabilitation, raising human rights concerns.
We may disagree politically, but we must not forget where Uganda came from
Mark
Why is the NRM making this appeal now, specifically? What prompted it?
Mimi
The Independence Day celebration is a natural moment for reflection, but there's also real tension in the country right now. Opposition groups are raising serious concerns about abductions and detentions. The party wants to frame the holiday as a moment to step back from that friction.
Luke
But we should be careful here. The appeal for "tolerance" is coming from the party in power while allegations of state violence against critics are still circulating. That's worth naming plainly.
Mark
What does Namyalo mean when she talks about protecting the country's "gains"?
Mimi
She's referring to things like the newly discovered oil resources, but also the broader stability and institutional rebuilding that's happened since 1986. The NRM sees those as achievements worth defending.
Luke
Right, but "gains" is a framing. The opposition would likely say those gains have been unevenly distributed, or that they've come at a cost to democratic space. We're hearing one side's interpretation of what needs protecting.
Mark
The Otafiire speech seems to be pushing back on something. What is he actually saying?
Mimi
He's telling his own party that aggressive crackdowns on opposition damage their credibility. He's arguing for magnanimity—for the party in power to show restraint and let criticism happen.
Luke
That's notable because it's coming from inside the NRM, from a senior figure. But we don't know how much weight that argument carries within the party hierarchy. Is this a real debate, or is Otafiire an outlier?
Mark
What about Sam Mugumya? How does his case fit into this story?
Mimi
He's the concrete example of what opposition groups are worried about. He disappeared in August, allegedly abducted, and then appeared in a video that seemed to show he'd been detained and physically harmed. It's the kind of thing that makes appeals for "tolerance" ring hollow to critics.
Luke
The video is powerful evidence of something, but we should be precise about what we know. He disappeared. He appeared in a video later. The circumstances of his detention, who was responsible, what happened to him—those details matter and some of them aren't fully established in the reporting.
Mark
Is there any chance this unity message actually lands with the opposition?
Mimi
Unlikely. When you're calling for tolerance while your critics are alleging state violence, the message sounds more like a demand for silence than an invitation to dialogue.
Luke
And the political calendar makes it harder too. Muhoozi's signature drive is already underway for 2031. That's not the behavior of a party that's stepping back from competition. It's the behavior of a party preparing for the next fight.
The Pulse
- Uganda's ruling NRM is urging political restraint ahead of Independence Day, but the appeal lands against a backdrop of documented abductions, detentions without trial, and suppression of opposition voices.
- The disappearance of opposition activist Sam Mugumya — allegedly abducted in August 2025 and later filmed in an NRM shirt relearning to walk — has become a flashpoint, drawing condemnation from human rights defenders across the political spectrum.
- Even within the ruling establishment, veteran minister Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire has warned that heavy-handed crackdowns damage the party's credibility and that genuine leadership requires magnanimity, not domination.
- Political maneuvering for the 2031 elections is already underway, with Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba's Patriotic League of Uganda collecting millions of signatures nationwide — signaling that unity appeals and electoral ambition are running on parallel tracks.
- The country's newly discovered oil resources have raised the stakes of political stability, giving the NRM's call for cohesion an economic urgency that extends beyond rhetoric.
As Uganda prepares to mark sixty-four years of independence, its ruling party has issued a call for political tolerance — an appeal that carries the full weight of a nation that knows, from lived memory, what it costs to come apart. The National Resistance Movement, which came to power after decades of coups and conflict, now asks citizens to guard the stability they have built, even as allegations of abductions and political repression cast a shadow over the celebration. It is a moment that asks an old and unresolved question: whether unity proclaimed from above can take root when trust between the state and its critics remains fractured.
Uganda's National Resistance Movement has called on citizens to set aside political hostility as the country approaches its 64th Independence Day on October 9. Speaking through the party's Office of the National Chairman, coordinator Hadijah Namyalo urged Ugandans across the political divide to reflect on how far the country has come — from the coups and institutional collapse that followed independence in 1962, through the armed conflict that preceded the NRM's rise to power in 1986, to the relative stability and development gains of the present day. With newly discovered oil resources on the horizon, she argued, this is not the moment to let divisive rhetoric undo what has been built.
The appeal found an echo inside Parliament, where liberation-era veteran and Water Minister Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire offered a more pointed warning to his own party: that cracking down on opposition groups corrodes the NRM's image and that constructive criticism from political opponents is a feature of healthy governance, not a threat to be silenced. His remarks suggested that the call for tolerance is not merely outward-facing — it reflects genuine unease within the establishment about the costs of repression.
That unease has a human face. Opposition activist Sam Mugumya vanished following an alleged abduction in late August 2025. Weeks later, video footage showed him in an NRM-branded shirt, undergoing physical rehabilitation to relearn how to walk. The images provoked widespread condemnation and became a symbol of the tensions that the Independence Day appeals have not resolved.
At the same time, the political horizon is already crowded. The Patriotic League of Uganda, led by Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, is gathering signatures in a nationwide drive aimed at building support for his presidential ambitions ahead of 2031. The effort is expected to conclude by December — a reminder that even as officials call for unity, the competition for Uganda's future is quietly, and not so quietly, intensifying.
Uganda's ruling National Resistance Movement is asking the country to set aside political hostility as it approaches its 64th Independence Day on October 9. The appeal comes from the party's Office of the National Chairman, where coordinator Hadijah Namyalo told journalists that citizens across the political spectrum need to remember what the nation has built and protect it from the damage that divisive rhetoric can cause.
Nameyalo framed the moment as one requiring reflection on Uganda's journey. The country did not find stability immediately after independence in 1962. Instead, it endured decades of military coups, armed conflict, and institutional collapse until 1986, when President Yoweri Museveni and the NRM took power and began the work of rebuilding. Now, with Museveni six months into his seventh term, Namyalo argued that Ugandans should focus on the gains that have accumulated—including newly discovered oil resources—rather than on the rivalries that divide political actors.
"We may disagree politically, but we must not forget where Uganda came from," Namyalo said, using stark language to underscore her point. She warned against allowing the country to be torn apart by internal conflict, saying that citizens should not allow fear to take root while development remains possible.
The call for restraint echoes similar sentiments from within Parliament itself. Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire, a veteran of the National Resistance Army's liberation struggle and now Minister for Water and Environment, told fellow lawmakers that true political strength lies not in force but in diplomacy. He cautioned against aggressive crackdowns on opposition groups, arguing that such tactics damage the ruling party's image and undermine its long-term standing. Otafiire suggested that constructive criticism from political opponents serves as a necessary check on power, and that magnanimity—not domination—defines genuine leadership.
Yet the timing of these appeals reveals the tension beneath them. Uganda is currently experiencing heightened political friction. Opposition groups and human rights organizations have documented allegations of abductions, prolonged detentions without trial, and heavy-handed law enforcement against government critics. The case of Sam Mugumya, a former mobilizer for the People's Front for Freedom, crystallized public concern. Mugumya disappeared following an alleged abduction on August 26, 2025. Weeks later, video footage emerged showing him wearing an NRM-branded shirt while undergoing physical rehabilitation to relearn how to walk. The images sparked widespread condemnation from human rights defenders and political figures across the spectrum.
Meanwhile, the political calendar is already moving toward 2031. The Patriotic League of Uganda, a civic pressure group headed by Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, is conducting nationwide signature drives to gather 25 million signatures in support of Kainerugaba's presidential prospects. The effort is set to conclude by December, signaling that political competition is intensifying even as party officials urge unity and restraint.
Nameyalo's message to the country, as the nation prepares to mark its independence milestone, centers on a single proposition: that national stability is the foundation upon which economic growth and shared prosperity must rest. The question of whether that foundation can hold while political tensions remain unresolved—and while allegations of state violence against critics persist—remains open.
Notable Quotes
We may disagree politically, but we must not forget where Uganda came from. Let's not rape the country, leaving Ugandans bleeding in fear. We have gains to protect.— Hadijah Namyalo, NRM National Coordinator
When you see a general who prefers violence as the best means of solving problems, then there is a problem. The greatest generals I know of are those who resolve problems without shooting a bullet.— Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire, Minister for Water and Environment
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