President Museveni and NRM Caucus members roast meat during a recent retreat at Kyankwanzi. 

Failure by President Museveni to decisively deal with indiscipline within the NRM and his age taking a toll on him have been identified as some of the reasons for the party’s current crisis.According to confidential minutes of the party’s top organ, the National Executive Committee, meetings this week at State House Entebbe, several speakers were frank in telling Mr Museveni, who is also the chairman of the party, that “he barks but cannot bite” and his failure to address the succession question was the main cause of indiscipline.
“There were several speakers who among other things pointed out that indiscipline in the party was growing because no action was being taken against errant members,” reads part of the document seen by this newspaper.
\The NEC members are quoted to have reportedly said: “The Chairman has grown old, he is a grandfather he cannot discipline his grandchildren.”
“Back stabbing and lack of reconciliation is due to lack of resources,” Museveni is quoted in the minutes to have said, before adding that “we shall have a full time Secretary General who devotes all his time to attending to this.”
It was also noted that the failure to find a fully devoted person to occupy the party’s secretary general position was partly to blame for the party’s problems.
On Tuesday, President Museveni asked NEC to replace Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi as the party’s SG. Mr Mbabazi had been expected to relinquish the position of SG once he was appointed premier but that did not happen and the debated faded.
Hyuha in-charge
Reports out of NEC this week indicated that Ms Dorothy Hyuha, the deputy SG, had been tasked to run the affairs of the party until the next delegates conference that will pick a substantive SG.
But at a brief press conference in Entebbe on Friday, Mr Mbabazi while on his way out to Israel, said he was still the SG and nothing had changed since.
“I was elected in Namboole over a year ago and some of you were there and so I am the Secretary General. I have said over times that the party structure and the leaders of which the SG is one of them haven’t decided on the matter” Mr Mbabazi said.
Mr Mbabazi said the NEC meeting never resolved that he wasn’t the SG but just recommended that a fully functional secretariat needed to be constituted.
He, however, conceded that he would concentrate on his PM job once the party decides.
“I think I need to concentrate on the Prime Minister to deliver service to our people. The secretaries and directors at the party secretariat we pay them and for me I am not paid, the party chairman is not paid and therefore, I am still the secretary general,” he said.
When contacted to confirm claims contained in the minutes, Mr Bernard Mujaasi, the LC5 Chairman of Mbale District, one of those who attended the meeting, said on Friday: “Several issues were discussed, including some of the matters raised, but not all of them were part of the final resolution—although some of them came up during the discussion.”
Mr Mujaasi added: “The President was of the view that those who are indisciplined should be tolerated because they are part of the party fabric. However he stressed the importance of discipline in the party.”
The Lwemiyiga Member of Parliament, Theodore Sekikubo, who also attended the meeting, said several views were expressed but not in the manner the document captures it.
“Succession issue was discussed especially the replacement of the party Secretary General, Amama Mbabazi. And on that the President was clear that it is not being orchestrated by the opposition but it was something he discussed with Mr Amama earlier,” said Mr Ssekikubo.