Hajjat Namyalo Champions Peaceful LCII Elections, Highlights ONC’s Growing Grassroots Impact

By Frank Kamuntu

Senior Presidential Advisor and National Coordinator of the Office of the National Chairman (ONC), Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye, has called upon all bazzukulu across Uganda to actively participate in the forthcoming Local Council II (LCII) Parish elections, describing the parish as the foundation of grassroots leadership and national development.

Speaking ahead of these elections, Namyalo emphasized that meaningful development begins at the parish level, where leaders work closely with communities to implement key government programmes, including the Parish Development Model (PDM).

“The parish is the engine of community transformation. Even PDM implementation is anchored at the parish level through dedicated parish chiefs and local leaders. That is why every Ugandan should take these elections seriously by participating peacefully and electing committed leaders,” Namyalo said.

She noted that the LCII elections present an opportunity for citizens to strengthen local governance and ensure effective monitoring and implementation of government programmes aimed at improving household incomes and service delivery.

Preliminary Assessment Shows Strong NRM Performance

Namyalo also revealed preliminary findings from the ONC’s district-by-district assessment of the recently concluded Local Council I (LCI) elections, indicating a commanding performance by the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and its allied candidates across the country.

According to the assessment, NRM candidates backed by ONC secured 71.7% of LCI positions while independent candidates leaning towards NRM obtained 19.5%. This gives the NRM an overall grassroots performance of 91.2% nationwide.

The National Unity Platform (NUP) registered 5.1%, while other political parties accounted for 3.9%.

The report further indicates that 18,314 ONC Bazzukulu coordinators were successfully elected to LCI positions across Uganda, with many expected to advance to leadership positions at the LCII level.

The assessment describes NRM’s performance as very strong in Western Uganda, while Central Rural, Eastern Uganda, Northern Uganda, West Nile and Karamoja all recorded strong performances. However, the report notes that competition remained relatively stronger in Greater Kampala, parts of Wakiso and Mukono, as well as several urban municipalities.

The report attributes the impressive results to several factors, including:

Strong village-level NRM organizational structures.
Effective mobilization by ONC coordinators and local party leaders.
Continued implementation of government wealth-creation programmes such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga.
Broad grassroots mobilization and community engagement across rural Uganda.

Focus Ahead Of LCII Elections

Namyalo urged all Bazzukulu and NRM supporters not to become complacent but to maintain the same momentum during the LCII elections.

She stressed that electing capable parish leaders will strengthen coordination between communities and government programmes, improve accountability, and accelerate socio-economic transformation.

The ONC assessment recommends consolidating gains in areas where NRM performed strongly, intensifying mobilization in urban centres, strengthening coordination with newly elected LC leaders, addressing internal party disputes early, and preparing a comprehensive post-election performance scorecard once the Electoral Commission releases official district-by-district results.

Namyalo concluded by calling for peaceful participation in the elections, urging Ugandans to exercise their democratic rights responsibly while supporting leaders committed to service delivery and community development.

“Every vote at the parish level matters because it shapes the leadership that directly serves our communities and supports government programmes that improve people’s livelihoods,” she said.