KAMPALA – Members of Parliament elected on the NRM party ticket will, as has been the tradition, have to undergo orientation to enable them refocus on the socio-economic transformation of Uganda, one of the four principles of the ruling party. This was revealed Thursday morning by the party Deputy Secretary General Richard Todwong during a press briefing at the party headquarters in Nakasero, Kampala.
According to Mr Todwong, the NRM has organized a three week long Leadership Retreat for its incoming NRM Parliamentary Caucus of the 11th Parliament.
Todwong told journalists that the Leadership Retreat will run from Wednesday, 7th April to Thursday, 29th April, 2021 at the National Leadership Institute, (NALI) in Kyankwanzi District.
He added that because of the current tight Parliamentary schedule, the 137 incumbent NRM Members of Parliament, and the 18 Independent NRM-leaning Members of Parliament who got re-elected to the 11th Parliament, will not attend this Session of the Leadership Retreat.
“Since Parliament will this month be debating the budget for the fiscal year 2021/22; and is expected to complete the budget debate by Thursday, the incumbent NRM Members of Parliament numbering 137, and the Independent NRM-leaning Members of Parliament numbering 18; who got re-elected to the 11th Parliament, will not be attending this Session of the Leadership Retreat,” Todwong said.
He adds that the Retreat will host a total of 243 Members of Parliament-Elect inclusive of the 43 MPs elected on independent ticket but NRM leaning). Also invited to the Leadership Retreat are the 27 Members of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) and 6 Members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA)
The objectives of the retreat according to Todwong is to ideologically re-orient the NRM leadership to enable them refocus on the socio-economic transformation of Uganda within the broader context of the survival of the African race, given the current global pressures and challenges.
The retreat will also pose an opportunity for the Members of Parliament-Elect to blend and bond together, which are essential ingredients for promoting Unity in diversity and most importantly, cohesion in the next Parliament and NRM Parliamentary Caucus-an Organ of the NRM.
“The Participants will be taken through the ideological Foundation of NRM, challenges and opportunities for Uganda, East African and Africa; Assessment of the NRM’s past Manifestos and prioritizing commitments of the 2021/26 NRM election manifesto; and training on the parliamentary etiquette,” He said.
The programme will run in three phases. Todwong explained that, phase one of the retreats will be conducted at Kololo on Wednesday, 7th April and part of Thursday, 8th April, 2021.
“Participants will report to Kololo for accreditation and COVID-19 testing, beginning at 8:00am. The test Results will be ready the following day, 8th April by 10:00am. Those who will be Negative; will immediately board the prepared buses to the National Leadership Institute, Kyankwanzi. Those who will return Positive results for COVID-19 will be immediately contracted and taken to isolation and professionally managed by the Medical teams and arrangements will be made for them to join the rest of the Leadership Retreat at Kyankwanzi,” Todwong said.
In phase two which will take place from 8th to 14th April, 2021; at the National Leadership Institute, Kyankwanzi, Todwong said the Members of Parliament will be taken through basic military drills; and revolutionary methods of work.
The third and last phase, he said, will be officially opened by H.E. the National NRM Chairperson on Thursday, 15th April, 2021; and will kick off a two week session of ideological teachings; self-reflection; harnessing of the NRM leadership resource; identifying and interrogating the priorities for socio-economic transformation.
“At the end of the Leadership Retreat, you will expect a more robust NRM Parliamentary Caucus; which is expected to be fully grounded ideologically and will have understood the transformational agenda for Uganda, the region and continent,” Todwong said.
“You will also expect more cohesion and unity of purpose and a high sense of strategic discipline,” He added.
From the recently concluded Parliamentary elections, the NRM will have a total of 337 of its flag bearers as Members-Elect to the 11th Parliament of Uganda; and who are waiting for Swearing-in between Monday, 17th and Wednesday, 19th May, 2021. The 11th Parliament will also have a total of 61 Independent Members of Parliament who are NRM-leaning. Todwong said all these are expected to endorse a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate with the NRM, a move that will provide the National Resistance Movement Parliamentary Caucus with a membership of 398 Members.
