Secretary-General of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), Amb. Wellars Gasamagera, speaking today at the NRM Party National Delegates Conference
KAMPALA, Uganda – In a powerful display of pan-African solidarity, the Secretary-General of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), Amb. Wellars Gasamagera, delivered a key address at the National Delegates Conference of Uganda’s National Resistance Movement (NRM), warmly endorsing President Yoweri Museveni’s leadership and the party’s direction.
The conference attended by over 20,000 party delegates, and a significant political event, also officially endorsed President Museveni as the NRM’s presidential flagbearer for the upcoming 2026 general elections.
Addressing the gathering, which included President Museveni and top NRM officials, Amb. Gasamagera emphasized that the relationship between the RPF and NRM extends far beyond conventional diplomacy.
“Your Excellency, Mister President, the bond between the RPF and the NRM is not merely political. It is historical. It is ideological, and it has been deeply rooted in our shared vision for the dignity, sovereignty and emancipation of our respective peoples,” Gasamagera said.
He characterized the two liberation movements as “brothers and sisters in struggle,” who were “forged in the fires of resistance against oppression and united by commitment to self-reliance, Pan Africanism and transformational leadership.”
President Yoweri Museveni during the event
Museveni’s Leadership and NRM’s Evolution
The RPF Secretary-General lauded the NRM’s evolution from a liberation movement into a formidable nation-building force.
He praised President Museveni directly for his “visionary leadership and people-centered governance in shaping a prosperous future for Uganda.”
He further articulated a shared ideology, stating that both parties believe in building nations that are “sovereign, not only in politics, but also in thoughts, ideology and technology and economy.”
African Solutions
A central theme of the speech was the critical importance of regional integration and African-led solutions to the continent’s challenges.
“We share a common critical understanding that regional integration is not a choice, it is a necessity,” Gasamagera said.
He reiterated the RPF’s support for Uganda’s spirit of “championing African solutions to African problems through homegrown policies.”
Furthermore, he pledged the RPF’s commitment to strengthening the East African Community (EAC) as a vital platform for “economic growth, security cooperation and indeed people-to-people exchanges.”
Steadfast Solidarity for the Journey Ahead
In a direct message of support for the NRM’s political future, the RPF official pledged his party’s unwavering solidarity as Museveni’s party charts its course towards the 2026 elections.
“As you gather to chart the next phase of NRM journey. We wish to stand with you, and we wish you a successful presidential campaign,” Gasamagera declared. “The Rwandan Patriotic Front is ready to walk with you this next chapter as we both continue to work on building a just, prosperous and peaceful Africa.”
He concluded his address with a rallying cry often used within the RPF movement: “We didn’t come this far to only come this far. There is still much to do. The task continues. The journey [continues] with courage, unity and vision,” before leading the audience in chants of “Long live the NRM!” and “Long live Pan African Unity!”
After Gasamagera ended his address, Richard Todwong, the NRM Secretary General called on delegates to give the speech a “befitting round of applause”, to which they all responded in unison.
