The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) is set to host newly elected Members of Parliament for a week-long retreat at the National Leadership Institute Kyankwanzi, as part of efforts to orient legislators on the party’s ideology and governance agenda.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong said the retreat will run from April 7 to April 15, 2026. It will bring together newly elected NRM MPs, returning legislators, and NRM-leaning independent MPs willing to work with the party.
Todwong said participants are expected to report to Kololo Ceremonial Grounds on April 6 for accreditation and COVID-19 testing before departing for Kyankwanzi the following day.
“As has been our culture, the party invites newly elected Members of Parliament to Kyankwanzi to bond, understand the party direction, and appreciate national priorities,” he said.
He added that the retreat will also be attended by members of the NRM Central Executive Committee, senior party officials, and cabinet ministers who are also MPs.
According to Todwong, about 72 independent MPs have been identified, with at least 40 already having signed memoranda of understanding to cooperate with the NRM. He noted that others are expected to join before the retreat begins.
The party has also extended an open invitation to opposition members interested in attending the sessions, including an opportunity for an opposition figure to present a paper on the role of opposition in national development.
NRM Deputy Secretary General Rose Namayanja Nsereko said the retreat will be held under the theme of aligning leaders to protect national gains while steering Uganda towards a higher middle-income status.
The retreat will run under the theme: “Aligning the NRM leadership towards protecting the gains and making the qualitative leap towards a higher middle-income status society.”
Namayanja explained that the programme will cover a wide range of topics, including NRM ideology, governance, regional geopolitics, national security, and political economy, with emphasis on the party’s “Musevenomics” approach.
Other key areas will include human capital development, infrastructure, agriculture, and the legislative role of Parliament, particularly in managing public expectations and ensuring effective representation.
She noted that special emphasis will be placed on ideological grounding, especially for first-time and younger MPs, to equip them with a clear understanding of the party’s principles and policy direction.
The retreat will be officially opened and closed by President Yoweri Museveni, who also serves as the NRM National Chairman.
Party officials say the Kyankwanzi retreat remains a critical platform for shaping the legislative and policy direction of the new Parliament and strengthening cohesion within the ruling party.
