President Yoweri Museveni has directed members of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) to prioritize party discipline and ideological cohesion as Uganda prepares for the 2026-2031 political cycle. Speaking during a keynote address at the Kyankwanzi retreat, the President told Members of Parliament that a lack of strict adherence to party ideology had limited the scale of their recent electoral victories.
During the session at the NRM’s ideological center, Museveni argued that greater discipline among party cadres would have resulted in wider margins of victory. He framed the retreat not as a celebration of past success, but as a corrective measure to align the party’s legislative wing with its core tenets of self-reliance and national transformation.
Economic Self-Reliance and Global Competitiveness
A central theme of the address was the danger of external dependency. Museveni utilized a specific metaphor to illustrate the gap between local perception and global reality, telling MPs, “You are dancing paka chini, but those on the moon look at you as ants.” Through this imagery, the President cautioned that short-term domestic triumphs often mask a lack of competitiveness on the international stage.
He asserted that reliance on foreign aid constitutes a fundamental weakness that undermines Africa’s potential. To counter this, Museveni urged the NRM leadership to aggressively champion innovation, industrialization, and agriculture. He positioned these sectors as the primary engines required to move Uganda toward a state of independence and self-confidence, arguing that national transformation is impossible without a departure from external dictates.
Internal Party Governance and the 12th Parliament
The retreat also served as a platform to resolve internal disputes regarding the leadership of the 12th Parliament. Museveni addressed tensions surrounding the roles of Speaker Anita Among and Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, explicitly defending the decision of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) to retain them in their positions.
The President stated that the CEC’s decision is final, warning that factionalism within the party would jeopardize national unity. By reaffirming the supremacy of the party’s executive structures over individual ambitions, Museveni signaled a period of tighter internal control and a decreased tolerance for fragmentation within the NRM ranks.
Strategic Alignment for 2026-2031
The timing of the Kyankwanzi gathering coincides with the party’s strategic planning for the next five years. The President’s directives focused on consolidating party discipline to prevent internal divisions from escalating into broader political instability. This approach is intended to position Uganda as a more assertive actor in regional politics by ensuring the governing party is ideologically unified.
Historically, the Kyankwanzi retreats have been used by the NRM to recalibrate its vision. Although previous iterations focused on combating corruption and complacency during the 1990s, the current focus has shifted toward managing the complexities of modern governance and the pressures of global economic competition.
The directives regarding the leadership of the 12th Parliament remain binding, with the President signaling that further internal dissent regarding the speakership will not be tolerated.
