A Stronghold Reclaimed: Honouring the Quiet Architect of NRM’s Buganda Resurgence

By Hakim Kyeswa

As the National Resistance Movement (NRM) marks four decades at the helm of Uganda’s destiny, its legacy is not merely a chronicle of national leadership but a tapestry of regional reawakenings. Among the most significant threads woven in recent times is the reclamation of the party’s footing in the vital heartland of Buganda. This revival is a story of strategic acuity and quiet diplomacy, championed by a man whose work often unfolds away from the spotlight: Honourable Haruna Kasolo, the Minister of State for Microfinance and NRM Vice Chairperson for Buganda.

For years, the political landscape in Buganda, the nation’s cultural and economic epicentre, seemed immutable. Since the return of multi-party politics in 2006, the NRM’s dominance was near-total. Yet, the 2021 general elections delivered a seismic shock. An opposition wave swept through, capturing a vast majority of parliamentary seats and reducing the President’s vote share in the region to a stark 25%. The narrative was set: Buganda had drifted, perhaps irreversibly. The region that so often determines the country’s political compass appeared lost to the ruling party.

In the aftermath, despondency threatened to take root. Government programmes like the Parish Development Model (PDM), though impactful, faced the daunting arithmetic of Buganda’s dense populations, making per-capita visibility a challenge. Despite tangible development, underlying issues like youth unemployment fuelled a resistance that transcended concrete and tarmac. The path back seemed fraught, if not impossible.

Enter Hon. Haruna Kasolo. Elected to the crucial Buganda leadership role in the party’s 2025 internal elections, his ascension was met with muted expectations by some, who mistook his understated, “undercover” methodology for a lack of potency. Yet, as the ancient African proverb reminds us, “A roaring lion kills no game.” Kasolo chose not the roar of empty rhetoric, but the steady, purposeful stride of a strategist.

His diagnosis was precise. He identified the self-inflicted wound of the 2021 cycle: the exodus of bitter primary losers who ran as independents, splitting the NRM vote and gifting seats to the opposition. Kasolo embarked on a mission of reconciliation, a personal pilgrimage to these aggrieved members. He appealed not just to party loyalty, but to a shared future, persuading them to sheath their ambitions and rally behind the party flag-bearer. This was no small feat; it required a leader who could be trusted, a broker whose word was his bond. “He who plants a tree, does not eat the fruit,” they say. Kasolo planted seeds of unity, for a harvest he knew the whole party would reap.

His vision extended beyond internal peace. He understood the climate of fear, where intimidation at polling stations had stifled free choice. Through deft coordination with security agencies, he worked to ensure every polling station was a sanctuary for democracy, safeguarding the sacred right of the secret ballot.

Furthermore, he grasped the practicalities of the battlefield. Campaigning in the populous, media-saturated Buganda region is prohibitively expensive. Hearing the plight of candidates—struggling with scant resources for posters, public address systems, and essential polling agents—Kasolo lobbied for and secured a special campaign fund tailored for Buganda. This affirmative action levelled the playing field, allowing NRM candidates to be seen, heard, and represented at every crucial juncture.

The fruits of this meticulous, human-centric approach are now etched in the 2026 electoral record. NRM stormed back to secure 55 parliamentary seats in Buganda, against the opposition’s 41, with winning independents largely leaning towards the movement. Most symbolically, the President’s vote share in the region leaped from 25% to 45%, a testament to a restored connection.

Achieving such a milestone is never a solitary endeavour. As another proverb wisely states, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Hon. Kasolo is the first to share credit with the candidates, mobilisers, and voters. Yet, he was the indispensable catalyst, the convener, and the strategist who made the journey far together not only possible but victorious.

As we reflect on 40 years of the NRM, we must celebrate not just the enduring pillars but also the skilled restorers who repair and strengthen its foundations. Hon. Haruna Kasolo has been precisely that for Buganda—a quiet architect who, through listening, unifying, and empowering, reclaimed a stronghold many had written off. In doing so, he has not only revived a region for his party but has reaffirmed that in politics, as in life, “the moon moves slowly, but it crosses the town.” With patience, wisdom, and unwavering resolve, he has guided the NRM back across the political landscape of its most critical domain.

The writer is an NRM Cadre.
Email: hakimkim255@gmail.com