The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Party in Uganda launched its Grassroot Mobilization initiative on November 18, 2025, at State Lodge Mayuge, led by H.E. the President and NRM National Chairman. This exercise aims to strengthen voter engagement at the village level ahead of elections, focusing on door-to-door mobilization to highlight NRM achievements and secure votes for the President and party flag bearers. It involves structured meetings, leadership coordination, and targeted facilitations to ensure effective execution across the country.

This article breaks down the process step by step, including participation, timelines, facilitations, and fund disbursement, to address common questions within the NRM ecosystem.

Purpose and Core Activities

The mobilization centers on parish-level meetings where 63 village leaders from each village gather. These leaders include:

30 NRM Village Committee members
9 LC1 Committee members
9 Village Youth Council flag bearers
5 Village Women Council flag bearers
5 Village Older Persons Council flag bearers
5 Village PWDs (Persons with Disabilities) Council flag bearers

At these meetings, participants:

Receive the mobilization message from H.E. the President, NRM National Chairman, and Presidential Flag Bearer.
Form an “army of Village Foot Soldiers” for door-to-door, voter-to-voter campaigns, emphasizing NRM achievements and vote solicitation.
Get guidelines and campaign materials for ongoing work.

The exercise transforms these leaders into active mobilizers to ensure widespread support across Uganda’s 71,211 villages.

Leadership and Coordination Structure

The initiative emphasizes integrated leadership:

Oversight: Provided by the Central Executive Committee (CEC).
Coordination: Handled by the NRM Secretariat through Sub-Regional Coordinators and teams.
Execution: NRM District/City Executive Committees (DECs) preside over parish meetings, supported by nominated center personnel.

Flag bearers (e.g., MPs, LCV/City Mayors, LC3 Chairpersons) can attend and speak at meetings but are not involved in coordination. Other leaders, such as District Administrative Secretaries, NRM District Registrars, and coordinators from Patriotism, PLU, and ONC, are deployed to participate actively.

To optimize efficiency, field teams are formed based on the number of parishes per district. Each team conducts up to two meetings per day:

Team Deployment Structure:

Less than 70 Parishes: 1 Team
71 – 140 Parishes: 2 Teams
141 – 210 Parishes: 3 Teams
Greater than 211 Parishes: 4 Teams

NRM Sub-County Chairpersons are deployed only in their respective sub-counties and continue monitoring village activities post-meetings. This deployment strategy ensures that the mobilization reaches all 10,717 parishes efficiently within the designated timeframe.

Timelines

The exercise is divided into preparatory and main phases, with built-in breaks to accommodate the festive season while maintaining operational momentum.

District/City Entry Meetings

Dates: Monday, December 1, 2025, to Wednesday, December 3, 2025.
Purpose: Develop an operation plan for parish meetings, including schedules, deployed personnel, dates, and venues (identified by NRM Sub-County Chairpersons).
Attendees: Includes DEC members (12 per district), MEC members (11 per municipality/city division), District Administrative Secretaries, NRM District Registrars, coordinators from Patriotism, PLU, ONC, flag bearers (MPs, LCV/City Mayors, Municipal/Division Mayors, LC3), and District Chairpersons of Women, Youth, Older Persons, and PWD Councils (4 per district).
Facilitation:
- Venue Hire: Shs. 500,000 per district.
- Meeting Allowance (including transport, meals, refreshments): Shs. 100,000 per invited person.

These preparatory meetings are crucial for developing district-specific operational plans and ensuring all stakeholders understand their roles and responsibilities before field deployment.

Parish-Level Meetings

Main Phase: Thursday, December 4, 2025, to Tuesday, December 23, 2025.
Christmas Break: Tuesday, December 23, 2025, to Friday, December 26, 2025.
Resume: Saturday, December 27, 2025, to Tuesday, December 30, 2025.
New Year Break: Wednesday, December 31, 2025, to Thursday, January 1, 2026.
Final Resume: Friday, January 2, 2026, to Tuesday, January 6, 2026.

These meetings run countrywide, with adjustments for holidays to maintain momentum while respecting cultural and religious observances. The phased schedule allows for 35 days of active mobilization work, ensuring comprehensive coverage of all villages.

Facilitations and Logistics

Facilitations are categorized into district teams, parish meetings, and grassroots materials. All financial disbursements occur through Party District Bank Accounts, with signatories reviewed during district meetings to ensure availability and alignment (e.g., excluding independents or irregular participants who may not be committed to party objectives).

The facilitation structure is designed to cover operational costs while incentivizing active participation across all levels of party structure. Understanding these rates helps party members know what to expect and ensures transparency in resource allocation.

1. District Mobilization Teams

Daily rates for a 35-day exercise period:

Leadership Positions:

DEC Chairperson: Shs. 100,000 per day
DEC Members (11 others): Shs. 30,000 per day
MEC Chairperson: Shs. 100,000 per day
MEC Members (10 others): Shs. 30,000 per day

District Coordinators:

District Administrative Secretary: Shs. 30,000 per day
NRM District Registrar: Shs. 30,000 per day
District Patriotism Coordinator: Shs. 30,000 per day
District PLU Coordinator: Shs. 30,000 per day
District ONC Coordinator: Shs. 30,000 per day

Special Interest Groups:

SIG Council Chairpersons (Women, Youth, Older Persons, PWDs - 4 per District): Shs. 30,000 per day

Sub-County Level:

NRM Sub-County Chairpersons: Shs. 20,000 per day (calculated as Shs. 20,000 × number of parishes in sub-county)

The higher rates for DEC and MEC Chairpersons reflect their additional coordination responsibilities. Sub-County Chairpersons receive facilitation calculated on the total number of parishes in their jurisdiction to reflect their extended monitoring role beyond the meetings themselves.

2. Parish Meetings

Per meeting/village rates:

Village Leaders:

Transport Refund (63 leaders per village): Shs. 10,000 per person
Meeting Refreshments (63 people per village): Shs. 2,000 per person

Meeting Logistics:

Meeting Security: Shs. 30,000 per parish
Venue Preparation: Shs. 100,000 per parish

District Level:

District Media and Publicity: Shs. 500,000 per district

For each parish meeting with villages in attendance, the total cost per village amounts to Shs. 756,000 (transport refunds) + Shs. 126,000 (refreshments) + Shs. 30,000 (security) + Shs. 100,000 (venue) = Shs. 1,012,000 per village, plus district-level media costs. This comprehensive facilitation ensures that village leaders can participate without personal financial burden and that meetings are conducted in secure, well-prepared environments.

3. Materials to Grassroots

Distributed per village:

Printed Materials:

National Chairman’s Message to the Grassroots: 10 copies
Grassroot Mobilization Handbook: 10 copies

Branded Items:

T-Shirts: 63 per village

Visibility Materials:

A2 Posters (Rural Villages): 100 posters per village
A2 Posters (Urban/Peri-Urban Villages - Cities, Municipalities, Town Councils, Divisions): 500 posters per village
Handbills/Pocket Posters: 200 per village

The material distribution strategy differentiates between rural and urban settings, recognizing that urban areas typically require more visibility materials due to higher population density and greater competition for attention. Each of the 63 village leaders receives a branded T-shirt, creating a visible, unified team of mobilizers. The handbooks and messages provide standardized talking points to ensure consistency in messaging across the country.

Fund Disbursement

Funds are released in batches to district accounts to support a 35-day exercise starting December 4, 2025. This phased approach ensures accountability and allows for monitoring of expenditure patterns before subsequent releases.

First Batch Release (December 4, 2025)

The National Treasurer released the initial batch covering approximately 9 days of operations:

25% of total for most categories (e.g., team facilitations, transport refunds, refreshments, security, venue preparation).
50% for District Media and Publicity (Shs. 250,000 per district in current batch).

This initial release is strategically designed to cover the intensive early phase of mobilization while demonstrating fiscal responsibility. The higher percentage for media and publicity reflects the need for immediate visibility as the exercise launches.

Why Phased Releases?

The batched disbursement approach serves multiple purposes:

Ensures smooth cash flow without overwhelming district accounts with funds they may not immediately need.
Allows for performance monitoring and adjustments if operational challenges arise.
Maintains accountability by linking continued funding to active progress on the ground.
Prevents potential misuse by limiting the amount of uncommitted funds available at any given time.

Subsequent batches will follow at regular intervals to ensure continuity throughout the 35-day period. District leaders should plan their activities knowing that additional funds will arrive as the exercise progresses.

Special Note on Sub-County Chairpersons

The facilitation for NRM Sub-County Chairpersons covers the entire 35-day exercise period, calculated as Shs. 20,000 multiplied by the number of parishes in their sub-county. This is paid upfront because these leaders have an extended role that continues after parish meetings conclude—they monitor ongoing mobilization activities in villages and provide regular feedback to district coordination teams.

Administrative Units Guide

For clarity, administrative units (number of parishes, sub-counties, villages per district) guide fund allocations. Districts should refer to the attached administrative units table in the National Treasurer’s circular, which provides exact figures for all 151 districts and cities across Uganda. This data-driven approach ensures equitable distribution based on actual mobilization needs rather than arbitrary allocations.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do districts access the released funds?

Funds are deposited directly into Party District Bank Accounts. During district entry meetings, signatories are being reviewed to ensure that only committed party members who are physically present and available can access accounts. This review addresses issues like independent contestants or inactive signatories who might delay operations.

What happens if a district completes its meetings faster than expected?

The 35-day timeline provides flexibility. Districts that complete meetings early should use remaining resources for follow-up monitoring and supporting village foot soldiers as they conduct door-to-door mobilization. Sub-County Chairpersons play a key role in this ongoing work.

Can village leaders receive facilitation if they miss the parish meeting?

No. The transport refund and refreshments are specifically for attendance at the parish meeting. The goal is to gather all 63 leaders simultaneously for unified training and message delivery. Individual follow-ups are not part of the facilitation structure.

Who decides the venue for parish meetings?

NRM Sub-County Chairpersons identify suitable venues during the district entry meetings. Venues should be accessible, secure, and capable of accommodating all village leaders from constituent villages. The Shs. 100,000 venue preparation budget covers rental costs and basic setup.

What if there are more than 63 leaders in a village willing to participate?

The structure specifically targets the 63 designated leadership positions to ensure efficiency and manageability. Additional interested members can support mobilization efforts after receiving guidance from the trained foot soldiers, but formal participation and facilitation are limited to the specified 63 categories.

The Scale of Impact

To appreciate the magnitude of this exercise:

151 districts and cities participating
2,268 sub-counties coordinating activities
10,717 parishes hosting meetings
71,211 villages being mobilized
Over 4.4 million village leaders (63 × 71,211) being trained as foot soldiers
Each foot soldier expected to reach dozens of voters through door-to-door campaigns

This represents the most comprehensive grassroots political mobilization effort in Uganda’s history, reaching virtually every household through trained, facilitated, and equipped local leaders who understand their communities intimately.

Roles and Responsibilities Summary

For DEC/MEC Chairpersons: Lead district entry meetings, preside over parish meetings, ensure operational plans are executed, manage team deployments, and oversee fund accountability.

For District Coordinators (Patriotism, PLU, ONC, Registrars, Administrative Secretaries): Participate in parish meetings, support coordination activities, provide technical guidance, and ensure alignment with party structures.

For Sub-County Chairpersons: Identify venues, participate in meetings within your sub-county, monitor ongoing village mobilization after meetings conclude, and provide regular feedback to district teams.

For Village Leaders (The 63 Foot Soldiers): Attend parish meetings, absorb the mobilization message, receive materials and guidelines, conduct door-to-door voter engagement, emphasize NRM achievements, and secure votes for the President and all flag bearers.

For Flag Bearers (MPs, Mayors, LC3 Chairpersons): Attend and address meetings to energize participants and build visibility, but do not participate in coordination activities to maintain focus on their campaigns.

Ensuring Success

The success of this mobilization depends on several critical factors:

Timely attendance at district entry and parish meetings
Proper fund management through transparent accounting in district accounts
Accurate record-keeping of attendance, materials distributed, and activities conducted
Active follow-up by Sub-County Chairpersons after parish meetings
Enthusiastic engagement by village foot soldiers in door-to-door campaigns
Unified messaging using provided handbooks and talking points
Visible presence through T-shirts, posters, and handbills in every village

Conclusion

The Grassroot Mobilization is a strategic push to unite NRM leaders and villagers for electoral success. By following these structured steps, timelines, and facilitations, the party aims for a seamless rollout that reaches every corner of Uganda. The exercise combines careful planning, adequate resourcing, and clear coordination structures to transform village leaders into an effective mobilization force.

If you’re part of the NRM ecosystem, contact your district chairperson or sub-regional coordinator for local schedules and deployment assignments. This initiative, with its focus on transparency in fund use and comprehensive grassroots engagement, is designed to deliver resounding victories for the President and all flag bearers.

The investment in facilitation, materials, and logistics demonstrates the party’s commitment to supporting mobilizers at every level. From the village foot soldier receiving transport refund and a branded T-shirt to the district team coordinating multiple parish meetings daily, every participant is equipped to contribute meaningfully to this historic mobilization effort.

Stay engaged, stay mobilized, and let’s work together to ensure NRM’s message reaches every household in Uganda!

Protecting The Gains!

Reference Files can be found here [https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1835U4UqnMApC1ZhDoFjgqHGWPQnLqTj6?usp=sharing]