National Resistance Movement (NRM) Secretary General Richard Todwong has praised Rwanda for what he described as a high level of discipline, cleanliness and patriotism among its citizens, saying Uganda could learn important lessons from its neighbour.
Todwong made the remarks while hosting a delegation from the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) at the NRM headquarters in Kampala.
“We appreciate and thank the RPF so much for the remarkable discipline that we see in Rwanda,” Todwong said. “Every single time you go there, you truly admire a country that clearly understands where it is going and understands its history.”
He said Rwanda’s citizens appeared committed to national development and expressed hope that Ugandans could emulate similar values of discipline and hard work.
“I deeply wish that we in Uganda could attain that level of disciplined citizenship,” he said. “The discipline we require is the kind that enables each of us to work hard, driven by the hope and assurance that the country has a clear vision and is moving in the right direction.”
Todwong said the NRM and the RPF share a long history and common political values rooted in liberation struggles and Pan-African ideals.
“The NRM and RPF are more than brothers; we are deeply involved in each other’s livelihoods,” he said. “Everything we stand for aligns directly with what the RPF stands for.”
He said the two ruling parties must continue strengthening cooperation, especially as citizens of both countries continue to live and work across borders.
Todwong also warned of what he described as external ideological and political threats facing revolutionary parties in Africa.
“The threats we face as the NRM are not different from the threats faced by the RPF,” he said. “These are externally generated threats by neoliberal forces seeking to distort our history.”
According to Todwong, African countries must remain vigilant and continue mobilising citizens around patriotism and sovereignty.
“Africa is not someone’s backyard garden,” he said. “It is an independent continent composed of autonomous democratic states elected by their own people.”
He added that Uganda recently passed a Sovereignty Bill to affirm its independence and right to govern itself without external interference.
Todwong also called for renewed political engagement within the East African Community, saying there was a need to reactivate discussions among regional political actors to strengthen integration efforts.
The meeting was attended by senior RPF official Protais Musoni, who conveyed greetings and congratulations from the RPF leadership to the NRM.
Musoni said the transformation and renewal of political parties were essential for long-term stability and success.
“The day you win is the day you start preparing for the next elections,” Musoni said, noting that the RPF was currently undergoing internal reforms aimed at preparing the party for the next generation.
He said the RPF and the NRM shared similar visions and strategies despite differences in national contexts.
“Strategically, RPF and NRM have the same vision and the same strategies,” Musoni said.
Musoni also emphasised the importance of sovereignty and African integration, saying African countries needed greater self-sufficiency in food, medicine, energy and defence to safeguard their independence.
He called on African political parties to take a leading role in advancing continental integration and achieving the goals of the African Union Agenda 2063.
“With President Yoweri Museveni as a champion of the East African Community and Pan-Africanism, Uganda stands a good chance of leading efforts toward the integration of African economies and peoples,” Musoni said.
