By Weswa Ronnie
MBALE CITY
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) party in Mbale city has failed to organize joint campaign rallies for Woman Member of Parliament candidates, contrary to party guidelines.
According to Tanga Odoi, the NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson, any district party leader who fails to organize joint campaign rallies will face punishment, as this was a party stand agreed upon before the campaigns begun.
On Wednesday, 9th July, 2025, joint campaigns for Mbale city women MP candidates were scheduled for Nakaloke playground at 2 pm, but only two candidates appeared, each at a different time. A similar situation occurred on Thursday, 10th July at Busamaga playground.
Rita Namuwenge, one of the candidates for Mbale City Woman MP, accused the city party leaders of colluding with Lydia Wanyoto also a candidate to avoid joint campaigns because Wanyoto fears being challenged in front of voters. Rita called for intervention from the party’s head office to put the local office in order.
However, John Wambogo Wekesa, the Mbale City NRM Chairperson, attributed the issue to requests from two candidates, Sarah Wasagali Kanabi and Rita Namuwenge, to delay the start of campaigns.
He claimed that they started their campaigns late, while Lydia Wanyoto had already begun campaigning according to the party’s allocated schedule.
Wambogo noted that it would be challenging to reconvene Wanyoto’s campaign rallies after the other candidates had already started theirs.