President Yoweri Museveni has reaffirmed the centrality of ideology, discipline, and principled leadership as the National Resistance Movement (NRM) retreat at Kyankwanzi entered its third day, rallying leaders to remain steadfast in the Movement’s core values.
In a candid and instructive address on Thursday, the NRM National Chairman emphasized the importance of dialogue over confrontation, urging leaders to always pursue peaceful resolution of differences.
The President underscored that the Movement’s struggle has always been guided by principles, not vengeance or violence.
“The aim is to reject wrongdoing, not to take life,” he said, stressing that “killing people is not strength, it is cowardice.”
He reminded participants that even in difficult times, the NRM exercised restraint and discipline, focusing on achieving strategic objectives while avoiding unnecessary harm.
Calling for ideological clarity among leaders, President Museveni warned against confusion and deviation from the Movement’s line.
“Without clear principles, people make mistakes and act out of confusion,” he noted, urging cadres to anchor their decisions on logic, fairness, and long-term national interests, particularly on key issues such as economic transformation and governance.
Looking to the future, the President expressed confidence in Uganda’s trajectory under the NRM, highlighting patriotism, unity, and socio-economic transformation as key pillars.
“The future is promising if guided by the right values,” he said, emphasizing that democracy within the Movement and the country must be based on free choice, not coercion or manipulation. “There is no need for shortcuts like bribery and dishonesty,” he added.
President Museveni concluded by reminding leaders that leadership is a responsibility of service to the people, not personal gain. He called for the preservation of Uganda’s cultural identity while maintaining a strong national outlook that rejects sectarianism. With discipline, honesty, and ideological consistency, he said, the NRM will continue to guide Uganda toward sustainable progress and prosperity.
Various Senior party leaders were in attendance and several presenters advised the in-coming MPs on various spheres such as parliamentary processes, wealth creation, investment and the savings culture as well as preparing early for life after the House.
The legislators also listened in to various experiences from former MPs who narrated how they successfully sailed through Parliamentary terms.