President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni officially opened the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Leaders’ Retreat for newly elected NRM Members of Parliament and affiliated Independents at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi today.
The week‑long retreat brings together legislators ahead of the new parliamentary term and aims to strengthen party unity and legislative readiness.
Museveni congratulated attendees on their electoral victories and the party’s strong performance, while urging reflection on areas of weakness to improve future outcomes.
He stressed that legislators must deepen their grasp of ideology, political philosophy and strategy to effectively diagnose societal challenges and offer solutions.
In remarks echoing the NRM leadership’s emphasis on self‑reliance, Museveni underlined the need to focus on production‑led prosperity rather than dependency or corruption.
“This generation must end poverty by creating prosperity through production, not begging or corruption,” he said, asserting that every adult should earn a livelihood through producing goods or services.
The retreat, which runs through 15 April, includes presentations from senior party figures, cabinet ministers, and technocrats on governance, national security, the economy, and the party’s manifesto priorities.
It also aims to orient legislators on parliamentary roles and strengthen ideological alignment ahead of the 12th Parliament.
The gathering has attracted high‑profile participation, including ministers and some Opposition figures invited to participate, reflecting efforts to broaden engagement across political lines.
A pressure group within the Democratic Party has, however, criticised this attendance, arguing it blurs partisan boundaries.
Museveni said he looks forward to the retreat’s engagements, framing the event as critical to charting Uganda’s development direction in the coming years.