Anita Among Triumphs Over Kadaga in NRM CEC Race, Wins with 92% of Delegate Votes
Out of 12,582 total votes cast by delegates, Among secured a resounding 11,680 votes, translating into 92% of the total ballots. Kadaga, who has held the position since 2021, managed only 902 votes, representing 7.2%.
The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among, has been overwhelmingly elected as the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Central Executive Committee (CEC) 2nd National Vice Chairperson – Female, defeating incumbent Rt. Hon. Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, the 1st Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs.
The results were officially announced by the NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson, Dr. Tanga Odoi, at the NRM National Delegates Conference convened at Kololo Independence Grounds at around 11:20 pm on Wednesday night.
Out of 12,582 total votes cast by delegates, Among secured a resounding 11,680 votes, translating into 92% of the total ballots. Kadaga, who has held the position since 2021, managed only 902 votes, representing 7.2%.
The declaration was met with loud cheers from the thousands of delegates gathered at Kololo, signaling the confidence and trust the ruling party’s grassroots and leadership have placed in Among’s stewardship within the CEC.
The victory signifies a major reshaping of the internal politics of the NRM, as Among, who has risen quickly through the political ranks, consolidates her influence both in Parliament and the party’s top decision-making organ.
Her triumph over Kadaga – a seasoned politician and long-serving former Speaker of Parliament – is being interpreted as part of a broader generational and leadership shift within the ruling party ahead of the 2026 General Elections.
While announcing the results, Dr. Odoi praised the democratic spirit of the Delegates Conference:
“This is the voice of the delegates, and the results reflect the will of the people who came here to exercise their right as members of the National Resistance Movement. I congratulate Rt. Hon. Anita Among on her victory, and I also thank Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga for her participation and service to the party.”
Though Among did not immediately address the delegates after the declaration, her camp described the victory as “a vote of confidence in her leadership and commitment to the NRM cause.”
Her election now places her at the heart of NRM’s CEC, a body that plays a central role in setting the strategic and political direction of the party.
What’s Next for Kadaga?
The outcome raises questions about Kadaga’s political future within the party. Once considered among the most influential female leaders in Uganda, her defeat marks a rare setback in her otherwise long and decorated career. However, analysts note that Kadaga still holds significant positions in government and remains a critical voice in national politics.
The NRM Delegates Conference has been marked by several key elections to fill top positions within the party’s CEC as it prepares for 2026, when President Yoweri Museveni will again contest as the party’s presidential flagbearer following endorsement by the same conference earlier in the day.
Among’s victory is therefore not just personal, but symbolic of the party’s evolving leadership dynamics, with her emerging as one of the strongest women in Uganda’s political landscape today.
