Zombo NRM leadership intensifies mobilization as candidates begin nomination process for local council elections

Zombo: The Zombo NRM Secretariat has urged party members and aspiring candidates to accelerate grassroots mobilization as the nomination process for Local Council (LCIII) chairpersons and parish councillors officially begins ahead of the NRM party primaries set for August 15, 2025.

Speaking to journalists at the NRM district offices in Zombo Town Council on Monday July 28, 2025, District Registrar Prisca Unegiu encouraged candidates to actively engage voters at the grassroots level. She confirmed that the expression of interest and collection of nomination forms has kicked off with strong momentum.

Unegiu explained that LCIII candidates will collect their nomination forms from the district registrar’s office, while parish and ward councillor candidates will obtain theirs from sub-county registrar offices.

“I’m here to outline the election program as we proceed according to the roadmap. Today, July 28, marks the start of expression of interest and nomination form collection for all aspiring LCIII chairpersons and parish councillors,” she stated.

According to the electoral timetable, nomination forms will be available from August 4 to 9, with LCIII chairpersons collecting forms at the district offices, and parish councillors doing so at sub-county registrar offices. Candidate nominations will also take place during this period.

The campaign period is scheduled for August 10 to 14, covering LCIII chairpersons, parish councillors, and Special Interest Group (SIG) councillors, which includes youth, persons with disabilities (PWD), and older persons.

“On August 15, we will hold the polling day for the primaries. Candidates should inform their voters that August 15 is the election day,” Unegiu emphasized.

Primaries for non-unionized workers, such as members of the Border Board Association and other non-unionized groups, are scheduled for August 6 at sub-county levels, with a minimum requirement of 10 participants per sub-county.

The roadmap also includes a district delegate conference on August 7, and submissions to the Electoral Commission (EC) for non-unionized workers are planned for August 11 to 12.

Primaries for SIG committee councillors, including nine youth positions and five PWD positions, will be held on August 8 at the district level. “SIG candidates must register at the district level on August 8, 2025. Only those who have participated from the village, parish, and sub-county levels are eligible,” Unegiu added.

In the recent NRM primaries for MPs, LCV chairpersons, and district councillors, Zombo, which has over 100,000 registered NRM members, experienced low voter turnout. Some voters attributed this to dissatisfaction with results that did not reflect their preferences, while others were deterred by the open voting method (lining up), which they felt compromised their democratic rights.

Zombo Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Festus Ayikobua, during the tallying of LCV and councillor results last week, called on NRM members to intensify mobilization and emphasize the party’s achievements to the electorate.

Meanwhile, petitions challenging recent primary election results have been filed by Ora County MP Songa Biyika Lawrence and Zombo Woman MP candidate Topista Acamfua, with hearings expected to commence soon.

President Museveni has established an NRM dispute tribunal to address 381 registered petitions, with sessions running from July 29 to September 1, 2025.

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