Museveni to launch fund to help NRM losers

NRM Members of Parliament who lost in the recent elections should know that the party is with them and will find ways of supporting them, President Museveni has said.

The President, who is also National Chairman of the National Resistance Movement, made the remarks yesterday (Saturday) as he addressed the NRM Caucus sitting at Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala.

“I congratulate you and thank you for supporting the NRM all this time and for making a contribution to the success of the NRM," said President Museveni.

He added, "I congratulate those who were elected. Those who were not elected, do not be disheartened. Be firm because we are with you."

Encouraging the MPs who won to focus on developing their communities and country, President Museveni said politics should be about making a contribution and not a means of livelihood.

“Do not depend on politics for livelihood. I encourage those who were not elected to agree to my idea of setting up a fund to help them create self-sufficient incomes," said the President.

Mr. Museveni added, “We can think of another funding. I would like you to get involved in the culture of not depending on politics."

The NRM Chairman urged the MPs to go back, integrate into the community and solve the issue of homestead incomes for the people, which is currently a big challenge.

“The main problem I have been telling you is subsistence farming. People working for the stomach only instead of working for both the stomach and the pocket,” Mr. Museveni said. “We should not co-exist with people working for only the stomach."

The President also told the caucus that the country was progressing well on the infrastructure front but added that there were concerns about officials who had refused to fully implement the Universal Primary and Secondary Education (UPE and USE) programs.

“Why don’t we insist on free education? So many children of the poor have pulled out of school because what was meant to be free education has now been made subsidized education," he said.

President Museveni also pointed out challenges like land evictions especially in Buganda and cheating to have cost the NRM party some positions.