“I want to make NRM structures functional,” says Museveni’s challenger

Former Makindye East MP John Ssimbwa has said he will dedicate all his energies to building NRM as a mass political party if elected as the national chairperson.

Ssimbwa is the only NRM member who has expressed interest in challenging President Museveni for the national chairperson seat.

Speaking to the Nile Post, Ssimbwa outlined what he thinks he can add onto the ruling party as national chairperson.

“I have been in NRM for long and I know the ideology of the party very well. I base my candidature on this ideology but also on the aims and objectives of the party,”Ssimbwa said.

Having served in the movement system and then in the NRM after introduction of multi parry politics, Ssimbwa said he very well knows the dynamics of serving the party as the national chairman.

“I have the ability to add the party. I want to make the structures of the party functional not only during elections but throughout the year. The incumbent has not made the structure functional outside elections and I want to change that.”

The former Makindye East legislator said it is high time the party structures remained active throughout the years and not only during times of elections.

He said by remaining active throughout their, the party structures would held in recruiting new members, a thing he said only happens towards elections.

“I want to devote more time to party activities especially at the grassroots. I don’t want us to have a party that only deals with the parliamentary caucus, Central Executive Committee and the National Executive Committee. I want the party to move from that level to a mass party.”

“I want to devote most of the time to cadre identification, training, development and placement.”
Confident of winning
Ssimbwa said he is confident he will by at least 59% but said he worries over intimidation of party members.

“I know there is a lot of intimidation among the members but if it is free and fair, I will win by around 59%,” he said.

Election of the NRM party national chairperson is slated for August 7 to 8 during the National Delegates Conference.

Ssimbwa will however have a tall order winning against the incumbent, President Museveni who has since 2005 when the country adopted a multiparty system been elected the NRM national chairperson.

On many occasions, Museveni’s challengers have had to pull out of the race shortly after declaring their intention to stand against him.

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