Munyonyo – President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has called on National Resistance Movement (NRM) Members of Parliament to uphold integrity, strengthen internal democracy and intensify the fight against corruption, as the party’s Parliamentary Caucus resolved to work closely with independent MPs aligned to the ruling party.
The resolutions were reached during a caucus meeting at Speke Resort Munyonyo attended by NRM legislators, Cabinet ministers, members of the Central Executive Committee, the NRM Secretariat and the Party Electoral Commission.
Addressing the caucus, the NRM National Chairman congratulated legislators on their election victories and commended the party's impressive performance in the recent Village Women Council and Local Council I Chairperson elections.
However, he said the party must urgently address weaknesses in its primary election processes, noting that some long-serving and committed NRM cadres had been forced to contest as independents.
"We still need to sort out the issue of integrity, especially in the conduct of our party primaries. When committed members lose in the primaries but go on to win overwhelmingly as independents, we must ask ourselves what happened in the primary election," Museveni said.
The President said the party would engage legislators to find lasting solutions that preserve unity and ensure experienced cadres are not lost because of flaws in internal electoral processes.
Museveni also raised concerns about shortages of medicines and health workers, saying he would present proposals to Cabinet aimed at resolving challenges in the public health sector. He stressed that preventive healthcare should be prioritised, particularly in combating diseases linked to poor sanitation and aflatoxins.
On corruption, the President described it as a major obstacle to national development, warning that corrupt practices at both local and national levels were undermining public confidence in government.
"Corruption weakens government institutions just as diseases weaken the human body. It diverts resources meant for development and creates resentment among the people," he said.
He further expressed concern over reports that investors had been frustrated by corrupt officials, leading some to relocate their factories to neighbouring countries. He cited abuses in the allocation of industrial park land and vowed that government would eliminate such bottlenecks to support industrialisation and job creation.
Representing NRM Secretary General Rt. Hon. Richard Todwong, Deputy Secretary General Rt. Hon. Rose Namayanja Nsereko briefed the caucus on the party's recent electoral performance, saying the NRM had consolidated its political dominance through a series of victories at both national and grassroots levels.
She cited the party's victories in the Kikuube District LCV Chairperson by-election and the Kalangala District Woman Member of Parliament by-election as evidence of continued public confidence in the NRM's leadership and policies.
Namayanja said the recently concluded Village Women Council and Local Council I Chairperson elections further demonstrated the party's nationwide strength.
"The National Resistance Movement participated actively throughout the country and registered an overwhelming victory, reaffirming the confidence and trust that Ugandans continue to place in the leadership and policies of the National Resistance Movement," she said.
According to preliminary results presented to the caucus, the NRM won 71.9 percent of the LCI Chairperson elections, securing victory in 51,093 villages, while the party captured 91.6 percent of the Village Women Council positions nationwide.
She acknowledged challenges encountered during the electoral process, including limited civic education, isolated cases of electoral malpractice, internal competition among party members and attempts at voter bribery. She called for continuous voter education, stronger enforcement against electoral offences and sustained reconciliation within party structures after competitive primaries to strengthen party cohesion ahead of upcoming elections.
The caucus later adopted a series of resolutions presented by Government Chief Whip Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, including a commitment to work with independent Members of Parliament who have joined the NRM Parliamentary Caucus, intensify the fight against corruption, strengthen integrity in electoral processes, support the Parish Development Model, promote value addition and regional integration, and continue backing strategic government programmes in defence, security, infrastructure, health, education and irrigation.