Big Wins! Collins Tanga, Diana Ampaire Kampe Sweep NRM Youth Elections

By Frank Kamuntu

Collins Tanga has been overwhelmingly elected National Chairperson of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Youth League in a peaceful regional election that has reignited calls for decentralized voting within the ruling party.

In Tororo, the elections were delayed after delegates refused to vote until they received facilitation allowances of Shs700,000 each. Once the payments were made, voting proceeded smoothly, with Tanga defeating nine other contenders — none of whom received a single vote.

“You can’t stop reggae,” an elated Tanga told supporters shortly after the victory. “This win is for every youth in Uganda. It is your time to work and make a difference.”

Security was tight, with delegates from Tororo County and West Budama Counties undergoing thorough vetting before entering the heavily guarded polling grounds.

The peaceful process stood in stark contrast to last month’s chaotic youth league elections in Kampala, which prompted the NRM to decentralize voting to regional centers.

“We have not recorded any major incidents. It has been peaceful across the seven districts of Bukedi. I thank the organizers — it was well managed,” said Rodgers Mulindwa, the Bukedi sub-region supervisor.

Local party leaders welcomed the outcome and urged the NRM Secretariat to consider adopting decentralized elections as the new standard.

“Look at how peaceful our youths are here. You can’t compare this to the chaos we saw in Kampala,” said Apollo Yeri Ofwono, NRM Chairperson for Tororo District.

Eastern Uganda Youth MP Benard Odoi Onen added, “This kind of election should be maintained. It’s cost-effective and safer than moving everyone to a central location.”

The NRM Secretariat, however, argues that centralized elections allow the party chairman to engage directly with members, even if they come at a higher logistical cost. The Tororo experience may now force the party to rethink its approach ahead of future youth activities.

In a parallel contest, Diana Ampaire Kampe was officially declared the winner of the National Female Youth MP NRM Flagbearer race, after trouncing five rivals in a hotly contested vote on Thursday.

Kampe claimed decisive victories across several districts, including a clean sweep in Amudat (18–0), a strong showing in Kiruhura (20–0), and a commanding lead in Sironko (34–14 over her closest challenger, Mercy Kanyesigye).

Political analysts say Kampe’s landslide win cements her position as one of the most influential young leaders in the NRM and could significantly shape youth representation ahead of Uganda’s 2026 parliamentary elections.

Thousands of NRM youth delegates across Uganda participated in the September 18 elections, which party insiders described as a “pivotal moment” for the next generation of political leadership.