President Yoweri Museveni has called on newly elected Members of Parliament from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) to reduce foreign travel and instead focus on direct engagement with their constituents to drive rural transformation.
Speaking during a campfire session at the National Leadership Institute in Kyankwanzi, Museveni said effective leadership depends on understanding household-level economic realities in the communities leaders represent.
“You need to go household by household and know your people how many are in the money economy and how many are still outside,” Museveni told the MPs.
He cautioned legislators against excessive involvement in parliamentary committee work and international benchmarking trips, arguing that such engagements often disconnect leaders from grassroots realities.
“If you benchmark too much outside, you disconnect yourself from your constituents,” he said, urging MPs to dedicate more time to fieldwork within their constituencies.
The President further advised legislators against taking on personal debt in the name of community support, instead encouraging them to rely on existing government programmes designed to improve household incomes.
Museveni highlighted agriculture and small-scale enterprise as key drivers of transformation, pointing to coffee growing, dairy farming, poultry, piggery, fish farming, and fruit production as viable pathways for household income generation.
Drawing from his own example, he said thousands of households in his home area have transitioned into the money economy through sustained mobilisation efforts.
He also underscored the importance of targeted infrastructure, particularly water projects in arid regions such as Karamoja, noting that dams remain critical for supporting livestock-based livelihoods.
“If we work together and focus on the people, we shall succeed,” he said.
Other leaders at the meeting echoed the President’s message. Jessica Alupo commended Museveni for his continued guidance on socio-economic transformation, saying it remains central to improving livelihoods.
Thomas Tayebwa urged MPs to support the President’s agenda, stressing the need for cooperation among state institutions.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja also called for unity between Parliament and the Executive, saying coordinated action is essential for advancing national development priorities.