When Pockets Speak Louder Than Ideology: A Glimpse into NRM Grassroots Politics

Politics at its worst, becomes a market place where ideas are shelved and loyalty is auctioned off to the highest bidder. This unfortunate reality was laid bare during recent events within the NRM structures at the grassroots level.

Nowhere was this more evident than in Mubende Municipality. What was meant to be a democratic exercise of leadership selection turned into a scene reminiscent of a crowded “muvumba” market. “Muvumba” Means used clothes. Incumbents and aspiring candidates engaged in shameless haggling not over vision or policies, but over money and influence.

Rather than debating development agendas or party ideology, discussions were reduced to one question: how deep are your pockets? In this environment, political mediocrity found fertile ground.

Those with financial muscle easily overshadowed more competent but less affluent candidates, effectively buying support like tomatoes off a market stall.

Mubende Municipality has now sadly degenerated into what resembles a village latrine, a place with no standards for entry. Leadership no longer demands competence or integrity. Even those who are clearly unfit to lead are boldly positioning themselves for public office, emboldened by the belief that money trumps merit.

Unfortunately, even promising leaders were not spared. Hon. Apollo of Katabalanga, who was contesting for the position of NRM Chairperson, Mubende Municipality, entered the race with promise and high expectations. He was seen by many as a fresh voice with the potential to lead the municipality toward discipline and reform. However, like many others, he too ended up in the political marketplace—reduced to trading favors and financial influence in a contest that should have been about ideology and vision. This shift deeply disappointed the electorate, who had hoped for principled leadership but were instead left with yet another example of compromise and lost integrity.

The consequences of this decay are far-reaching. Mubende is now staring down the barrel of serious governance risks such as;

Poor service delivery: With unqualified individuals in leadership, key services like health, education, infrastructure, and sanitation are bound to suffer.

Corruption and mismanagement: Leaders driven by self-interest and campaign debt recovery are more likely to embezzle public funds.

Stifled development: When policy-making is based on favoritism rather than informed planning, genuine progress becomes elusive.

Erosion of public trust: Citizens lose confidence in governance when leaders are seen as self-serving and incompetent.

Youth disillusionment: The younger generation, seeing politics reduced to bribery and influence-peddling, becomes disengaged and cynical about their future.

Increased conflict and division: Patronage politics breeds factionalism, tribalism, and tension within the community.

If this trend is not reversed, Mubende risks becoming a cautionary tale—a municipality rich in potential but ruined by political short-sightedness.

It is high time the party and the electorate recalibrated the values of leadership—placing merit above money, and restoring integrity and vision to the political process. The future of Mubende depends on it.

A story by Ronnie Mugwabya Former Councilor kaweeri ward