NRM delegates in Kapelebeyong District have openly criticized Capt. Mike Mukula’s reliance on what they termed “politics full of history,” vowing instead to rally behind David Calvin Echodu in his bid for the Central Executive Committee (CEC) position of Vice Chairman for the Eastern Region.
The development comes during ongoing CEC mobilization efforts by both Mukula and Echodu in the Teso Sub-region ahead of the NRM Delegates’ Conference scheduled for August 27–28.
Addressing the delegates, Echodu pledged to inject “new energy” into the party, promising to empower cadres, restore unity, and prioritize grassroots engagement. He took aim at Mukula’s campaign approach, accusing him of relying too heavily on past achievements while ignoring present realities.
“We don’t eat experience,” Echodu told the gathering. “I have been in the party long enough to see what has been happening. People with bad energy have tarnished the image of the party. History cannot work now—we need action. If history was the solution, one should become a teacher. What people need today is empowerment and change, not endless stories of the past.”
Kapelebeyong District NRM Chairperson, Patrick Ibalat, acknowledged that history has its place but stressed that it is increasingly difficult to win over the youth—who make up the majority of Uganda’s population—through nostalgia alone.
“Historians are great philosophers, but most young people now want to know how they will prosper, not how leaders suffered in the past,” Ibalat explained. “Here in Kapelebeyong, where most leadership positions are held by the youth, messages of hope resonate more than history. People want to hear about building roads, improving farmers’ welfare, and sustaining peace.”
Several other delegates echoed the call for change and unity, accusing the incumbent Vice Chairman of failing to strengthen the grassroots and only appearing during campaign seasons. They argued that while history may inspire, it does not address the pressing challenges communities face today.
“History can’t do much for us,” one delegate said. “We need action-based leadership that brings tangible change. For us, Calvin Echodu has the best ideology to take the party forward.”
With just weeks to the Delegates’ Conference, the race for NRM’s Eastern Region Vice Chairmanship is shaping up to be a contest between established legacy politics and a push for fresh, youth-driven leadership.
