President Museveni Urges NRM MPs to Strengthen Integrity, Internal Democracy and Anti-Corruption Fight

MUNYONYO — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has challenged Members of Parliament under the National Resistance Movement (NRM) to uphold integrity, strengthen internal democracy and intensify the fight against corruption, warning that weaknesses within the party could undermine its long-term political strength and public confidence.

Museveni made the remarks at Speke Resort Munyonyo during a meeting of the NRM Parliamentary Caucus attended by NRM legislators, Cabinet ministers, members of the Central Executive Committee, the NRM Secretariat and the Party Electoral Commission.

The meeting also resolved that the NRM Parliamentary Caucus would work closely with independent Members of Parliament who are aligned with the ruling party, while supporting government programmes aimed at accelerating socio-economic transformation.

Museveni questions party primary elections

Addressing the legislators, Museveni congratulated them on their election victories and commended the NRM for what he described as an impressive performance in the recently concluded Village Women Council and Local Council I Chairperson elections.

However, he called for urgent reforms in the party's internal electoral processes, particularly the conduct of NRM primary elections.

The President expressed concern that some long-serving and committed NRM cadres who lost in party primaries later contested as independents and went on to win their constituencies by substantial margins.

He said such outcomes should prompt the party to examine whether its primary elections are being conducted fairly and transparently.

“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 should engage its legislators and other structures to identify lasting solutions that would preserve unity while ensuring that experienced cadres are not pushed out of the party because of weaknesses in the internal electoral system.

He emphasised that strengthening internal democracy and integrity would be critical to maintaining cohesion within the NRM as it continues to expand its political support at grassroots level.

President renews anti-corruption warning

Museveni also placed corruption high on the caucus agenda, describing it as one of the major obstacles to Uganda's development.

He warned that corruption at both local and national levels was undermining public confidence in government institutions and diverting resources intended for public services and development programmes.

“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.

The President further raised concern over reports that investors had been frustrated by corrupt government officials, resulting in some businesses relocating their factories to neighbouring countries.

He specifically cited alleged abuses surrounding the allocation of land in industrial parks, saying such practices risked undermining Uganda's industrialisation agenda and limiting opportunities for employment.

Museveni said government would continue working to eliminate bureaucratic and corrupt bottlenecks that discourage investors, stressing the need to create an environment capable of attracting and retaining investment.

The NRM caucus subsequently resolved to intensify the fight against corruption and strengthen integrity within political and government structures.

Health sector challenges

The President also addressed challenges affecting Uganda's public health sector, particularly shortages of medicines and health workers.

Museveni said he would present proposals to Cabinet aimed at addressing the challenges facing public health facilities. 

He also stressed the importance of preventive healthcare, arguing that Uganda could reduce the burden on health facilities by tackling the causes of preventable diseases.

Among the issues he highlighted were diseases associated with poor sanitation and exposure to aflatoxins.

The President urged greater attention to prevention alongside treatment, saying public health interventions should address environmental and food-safety factors that contribute to disease.

NRM celebrates electoral performance

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.

Namayanja said the NRM had continued to consolidate its political position through victories in national, local and grassroots elections.

She pointed to the party's victories in the Kikuube District Local Council V Chairperson by-election and the Kalangala District Woman Member of Parliament by-election as evidence of continued public support for the NRM.

She also highlighted the recently concluded Village Women Council and Local Council I Chairperson elections, saying the results demonstrated the party's extensive organisational reach across the country.

According to preliminary results presented to the caucus, the NRM won 71.9 percent of the Local Council I Chairperson elections, securing victory in 51,093 villages.

The party also reportedly won 91.6 percent of Village Women Council positions nationwide.

Namayanja said the results reaffirmed what she described as continued confidence and trust in the NRM's leadership and policies.

“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.

Party acknowledges electoral challenges

Despite the strong performance, Namayanja acknowledged challenges experienced during the elections.

These included limited civic education, isolated cases of electoral malpractice, intense competition among NRM members and allegations of voter bribery.

She called for continuous voter education and stronger enforcement against electoral offences.

Namayanja also urged NRM structures to sustain reconciliation among members following competitive party primaries, arguing that internal divisions could weaken the party at constituency and grassroots levels.

The call for reconciliation comes against the backdrop of Museveni's concern that some NRM members who lose party primaries subsequently contest as independents and, in some cases, defeat the official party candidates.

Caucus backs independent MPs aligned to NRM

The Parliamentary Caucus also resolved to work with independent MPs who have aligned themselves with the NRM.

The arrangement is intended to enable the legislators to participate in caucus activities and cooperate with the ruling party on parliamentary matters, while maintaining their independent status.

The resolution follows the growing collaboration between the NRM and independent legislators who support government programmes and policies.

Caucus adopts broad resolutions

The resolutions were presented by Government Chief Whip Hon. Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng and subsequently adopted by the caucus.

Among the key commitments was a pledge to strengthen cooperation with independent Members of Parliament aligned to the NRM and to intensify efforts to combat corruption.

The caucus also committed itself to strengthening integrity in electoral processes and supporting the implementation of the Parish Development Model as part of the government's strategy for transforming household incomes.

Other resolutions focused on promoting value addition, strengthening regional integration and continuing parliamentary support for strategic government programmes in defence, security, infrastructure, health, education and irrigation.

The caucus further emphasised the importance of legislators working collectively to advance government priorities while remaining responsive to the concerns of citizens in their respective constituencies.

Focus shifts to party cohesion and service delivery

The Munyonyo meeting placed both political organisation and service delivery at the centre of the NRM's parliamentary agenda.

Museveni's call for greater integrity in party primaries, coupled with the caucus resolution to work with independent MPs, signals an effort to address internal divisions that can emerge from competitive elections.

At the same time, his warnings on corruption and concerns about shortages of medicines and health workers underline the pressure on government and the ruling party to translate their political dominance into improved public services and economic opportunities.

With the NRM recording strong performances in recent grassroots elections, the President urged the party to use its political strength to address weaknesses within its structures, fight corruption and strengthen the delivery of government programmes.

The resolutions adopted in Munyonyo are therefore expected to shape the caucus's engagement in Parliament, particularly on issues of governance, economic transformation, public service delivery and the strengthening of the party's internal structures.