Balaam’s Visit Sparks Rift in Adjumani as NRM Aspirants Protest Gen Moses Ali Rally
`Tension is running high in Adjumani District ahead of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party primaries, as a group of parliamentary aspirants has protested an upcoming rally they claim unfairly favours incumbent MP Moses Ali.
The controversy centres on the scheduled visit of Balaam Barugahara, the minister of state for youth and children affairs, who is expected to attend a rally at Paridi Stadium in Adjumani Town Council on Thursday, July 10, 2025.
The event, billed as a celebration of NRM achievements, is organised in honour of the 84-year-old legislator, who is seeking re-election in Adjumani West County.
In a joint letter dated July 8 to NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson Tanga Odoi, seven parliamentary aspirants objected to the rally’s timing, accusing organisers of attempting to tilt the playing field in favour of Gen Ali.Y
“The timing of Balaam’s visit coincides with our scheduled joint campaigns,” the letter states.
“His presence at a rally organised by Gen Moses Ali strategically aligns with a particular candidate, potentially creating an uneven ground and derailing the spirit of internal democracy.”
The aspirants also alleged that local security personnel blocked their own campaign event scheduled earlier the same day, without explanation.
They warned that the situation could inflame tensions, citing a violent history in Adjumani’s electoral politics—most notably the 2006 killing of a candidate—as well as recent campaign-related fatalities in Busia and Koboko.
Raising further concerns, the group accused organisers of mobilising youth from several sub-counties to pack the venue and warned that government programmes like the Parish Development Model (PDM) risk being politicised in the process.
But Dr. Balaam Barugahara rejected the accusations, insisting his visit is purely social.
“I am going to Adjumani not to campaign for General Moses Ali. Nobody should imagine that my coming is political,” he said in a phone interview.
According to Balaam, he was invited merely as “a friend” to attend the launch of Gen Ali’s manifesto.
Gabu Amacha, Gen Moses Ali’s political assistant and chairperson of his campaign task force, dismissed the protest as panic from losing candidates.
“The aggrieved contestants have no authority to stop Balaam’s visit. They should instead focus on better strategies for mobilising support,” Amacha told journalists during a media briefing in Adjumani Town.
He added that the attendance of a high-profile figure like Balaam reflected Gen. Ali’s stature within the NRM.
“The involvement of prominent national figures only highlights the strength and respect Gen Moses Ali commands,” Amacha said.
Gen Ali, a senior NRM stalwart and former deputy prime minister, is facing stiff competition from Moses Kibirai, Nixon Owole, and Santos Adrawa, who are all seeking to end his decades-long grip on the Adjumani West County seat.
With pressure mounting, the NRM Electoral Commission is being urged to step in and clarify the party’s position before Thursday’s rally to avoid deepening divisions in a district already on edge.
