The National Chairman of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, made an appeal to the party’s parliamentary caucus to strictly monitor and oversee government programs like the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga designed to help society transition from a traditional way of life to modernity.

“The two funds are under you; Emyooga is at the constituency level and PDM is at the parish level. Your job is to supervise; you are not a cashier and you don’t need to handle money,” he said.

The President made the comments at the end of the NRM Parliamentary Caucus Retreat, which was held at the Kyankwanzi District’s National Leadership Institute (NALI) on Sunday June 4, 2023.

Over 400 Members of Parliament, including Independent members who lean towards NRM, attended the retreat with the theme “Increasing Household Incomes and Wealth Creation: The Critical Role of the Leader.” The First Lady, Mrs. Janet Museveni, who serves as the Minister of Education and Sports, also attended the retreat.

President Museveni spoke at length about the retreat’s advantages and expressed his sincere thanks for the opportunity to spend time with the NRM caucus members, whom he urged to carry on the National Resistance Army (NRA) ethos.

“I am delighted to speak with you. I notice that many of you are educated and somewhat young. I want to spend more time with you in order to teach you what I and you know about NRM/NRA,” he said.

He emphasized that the retreat was intended to serve as a hub for NRM’s new generation to fully grasp the party’s ideology.

The President also informed the Caucus members of the 28 young cadres he had recruited and trained in Tanzania in 1976, eventually serving as the foundation of the modern Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF). General Salim Saleh, Bosco Omule, and General Ivan Koreta were the only 28 survivors, he said, and the group created FRONASA to oppose Idi Amin.

“Don’t waste your opportunities; you have a ton of them. If you would only pay attention to what I’m saying, you have a very promising future ahead of you. The goal is to mobilize you, he advised, adding that it is actual life history rather than fiction. You are very polite, young, and intelligent. We could get far if these people only just embody the NRA spirit.

He emphasized, “Our next battle is to ensure free education so that the poor children don’t drop out of primary, secondary, or tertiary institutions.”

Resolutions adopted by the Caucus at the retreat were presented by the Government’s Chief Whip, Hon. Hamson Obua, prior to the President’s comments.

Members expressed their gratitude for President Museveni’s presence and for his stirring keynote speech on the importance of clarity in relation to the elements of ideology, strategy, policy, and administrative commitment in the resolutions.

They also gave the President great praise for his inspiring and instructive speech on how leaders may raise household incomes and create wealth.

Those who attended the retreat also vowed to strengthen the NRM’s unity around its guiding ideologies of patriotism, pan-Africanism, socio-economic transformation, and democracy.

The caucus members acknowledged that political leaders, including Members of Parliament, are key and directly responsible in the PDM and Emyooga program implementation in order to shift society away from the traditional way of life and toward the money economy. The retreat’s theme was “On the role of leaders in increasing Household Incomes and Wealth Creation.”

The participants also agreed that one of the most important pillars for accomplishing socioeconomic transformation is education, together with rising household incomes.

The resolutions also included some of the members’ promises to formally support the Value Addition of goods like sugar and coffee, among others.

On behalf of the caucus members, the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja, promised to put the resolutions into action and to support all government initiatives.

The Rt. Hon. Richard Todwong, NRM’s Secretary General, declared that the Secretariat had already created a new department of Policy and Research to gather information from the countryside, which had strengthened the party.

The Secretary General also praised President Museveni for repeatedly urging them to give their all to the people.