The National Resistance Movement Director of Communication, Emmanuel Lumala Dombo, has said the recently concluded party retreat at the National Leadership Institute in Kyankwanzi was designed to strengthen leadership capacity, ideological clarity, and service delivery among leaders.
Speaking during NBS Frontline on Thursday, Dombo said the retreat, conducted under the guidance of the party’s National Chairman, President Museveni, brought together Members of Parliament-elect, including independents and representatives from cooperating political parties.
Dombo noted that discussions focused heavily on Uganda’s long-term economic transformation, with an ambitious growth target set during the sessions.
“We had very prominent personalities even from across the region speaking to the MPs. However, the most important thing discussed in that retreat was to take Uganda to a 500 billion dollar economy in just five years. That’s an ambitious dream,” he said.
He added that the retreat also provided an opportunity to assess the capabilities of incoming legislators, particularly in articulating and defending government positions.
“To me, it was interesting to meet many NRM MPs for the first time and assessing their depth in matters of governance. I’ve been looking for members to come to the media to defend the position of the government. I was able to identify many MPs who fit the bill,” Dombo said.
Organisers described the retreat as part of a broader strategy to build leadership cohesion and collaboration within government structures, while addressing key themes such as Uganda’s economic trajectory, national sovereignty, regional integration, and Pan-Africanism.
During the same talk show, Member of Parliament-elect for Older Persons in the Eastern Region, Ofwono Opondo, confirmed that part of the Shs 100 million pledged to each attending legislator by Museveni had begun to be disbursed.
“Part of the Shs 100 million is trickling in. For now, we are getting part of it which is Shs 20 million. I’m sure most of the MPs have got. I don’t know when the balance of Shs 80 million will be released,” he said.
Opondo explained that the funds were part of a broader donation budget approved for the President and suggested that the allocation should be viewed as facilitation for legislators.
“MPs gave the President a budget for donations but didn’t stress how he should donate. I’m sure that the Shs 100 million he is giving to NRM MPs is part of that donation budget,” he said.
“It’s always good if a benefactor comes especially if you haven’t demanded money. I think that the money the President gave us is a facilitation because he sees more than we do.”
Reports indicate that Museveni pledged Shs 100 million to each attending member to support incoming legislators ahead of their swearing-in and parliamentary duties.
The Kyankwanzi retreat forms part of ongoing efforts within the ruling party to align leaders with national priorities and equip them with the coordination and knowledge required to implement government programmes.
