Soroti NRM party leaders accused of secretly backing Opposition in city races

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Soroti City National Resistance Movement (NRM) party chairperson John Enomu has raised a red flag over what he describes as “silent sabotage” within the ruling party.

He accuses some senior leaders and influential members of secretly supporting Opposition candidates in the ongoing Soroti city campaigns.

The city, a long-standing stronghold of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party, remains a high-stakes battleground as the NRM intensifies efforts to reclaim political dominance ahead of the forthcoming general elections. Despite significant investment in voter mobilisation and internal restructuring, the party continues to face internal rifts that threaten its objective.

David Calvin Echodu candidate for Soroti city West and the current National vice chairperson eastern speaking to the media. (Credit: Godfrey Ojore)

Speaking to the media in Soroti city on December 8, 2025, where he was announcing the launch of campaigns for party vice-chairperson for eastern Uganda David Calvin Echodu, also Soroti City West candidate, slated for today, Enomu himself a former FDC leader who crossed to the ruling party said winning Soroti city should have been “a walkover,” but internal betrayal is weakening the party’s chances.

“There are some people who are supporting our opponents and leaving our party candidates alone,” Enomu said. “Let us put our efforts together as NRM for our candidates and avoid secret moves of supporting the opposition.”

While he declined to name the alleged saboteurs, Enomu insisted the matter is “a public secret” within the city’s political circles.

According to him, such manoeuvres undermine the NRM’s broader goal of eroding the Opposition’s urban dominance and reclaiming control of the city divisions.

Captain Mike Mukula poses for a picture with David Calvin Echodu and his American wife. (Credit: Godfrey Ojore)

The only senior figure who has publicly broken ranks is former NRM national vice chairperson for eastern Uganda Capt. Mike Mukula, who has openly thrown his weight behind his son, Rodney Akongel Mukula, an independent candidate in the Soroti City East race.

Akongel did not participate in the NRM primaries, which produced Isaac Orego as the official flag-bearer. However, his campaign received a major boost when Capt. Mukula served as chief guest at his first rally at Arrow Square shortly after his nomination fuelling debate within the party about divided loyalties.

The Soroti City East contest remains one of the most tightly contested races, with veteran FDC politician Moses Okia Attan commanding significant support. Attan, who was the pioneer MP for the division, lost the turbulent by-election marred by controversy after the Electoral Commission declared Herbert Edmund Ariko the winner. Ariko has since shifted his ambitions to Gweri County in Soroti District, leaving the field open for a rematch between Attan, the NRM’s Orego, and Akongel.

Enomu said his decade-long experience as an FDC leader had equipped him with “all the opposition’s tactics,” arguing that an organised NRM should defeat the opposition with ease. 

“I know the tactics of the opposition, having served in FDC for 10 years, in which I was able to deliver victory both in the district and municipality then,” he said. 

“But the involvement of some key leaders in supporting the opposition undermines the efforts.”

Enomu is also contesting for division mayor Soroti west.

In Soroti City West, where Echodu is making a second attempt after losing to Jonathan Ebwalu in 2021, the political landscape is equally charged.

Ebwalu, formerly the station manager at Capt. Mukula’s radio, contested as an independent but was widely viewed as FDC-leaning. Sources allege that Mukula’s influence contributed to Ebwalu’s victory. Ebwalu has now formalised his loyalty and is the official FDC flag bearer in the current race.

Meanwhile, the Soroti City Woman MP contest pits NRM’s Sarah Inachu against FDC incumbent Joan Alobo, who continues to rally voters on her popular “No cow, No vote” slogan, a phrase that has deeply resonated with urban youth and informal-sector supporters.

With internal intrigue, shifting allegiances, and a revitalised FDC machinery, Soroti City is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable urban battlegrounds in the 2026–2031 election cycle.

As campaigns heat up, all eyes remain on whether the NRM can overcome internal fractures to make the decisive gains it seeks or whether the opposition will retain its grip on one of its strongest urban bases.