President Yoweri Museveni has requested the presence of all members of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) affiliated legislators for a meeting set to occur at State House in Entebbe.
The invitations for this meeting were distributed to NRM Members of Parliament through the Government Chief Whip, Mr. Hamson Obua, and specify that the meeting is planned for tomorrow, beginning at noon and concluding at 5 pm. Attendees are required to undergo a Covid-19 test to gain access to the gathering.
Mr. Obua’s letter partially reads, “This is to notify and invite you for a caucus meeting scheduled to take place on September 28 at State House Entebbe.”
While the invitation from the Government Chief Whip does not provide details regarding the agenda or specific topics for discussion, the NRM Caucus spokesperson, Mr. Brandon Kintu, shared that the meeting’s primary purpose is to facilitate an “internal interaction among members of the same family.”
Mr. Kintu added, “The most important and key agenda is to have an interaction with the chairperson of the party. You all know that we [NRM] have the responsibility of ensuring that what we pledge in the manifesto in the next five years [is implemented],” although he did not provide further specifics.
This meeting follows closely after the Speaker of Parliament canceled a plenary session due to the absence of ministers in Parliament. It remains unclear whether this issue will be discussed as President Museveni, who also serves as the NRM party chairperson, meets with lawmakers tomorrow.
Additionally, the caucus call coincides with the ongoing investigation led by the Trade Committee, chaired by Mr. Mwine Mpaka, the MP for Mbarara City South. The committee is examining potential misappropriation and misuse of funds allocated to cooperatives in the country.
These closed-door sessions, which commenced with interactions between Ministry of Trade officials and committee members, have been ongoing since Speaker Among issued a directive nearly a month ago.
Mr. Mpaka explained, “We are examining governance, value for money, and budget allocations to these cooperatives.”
It’s worth noting that President Museveni previously met with the NRM parliamentary caucus at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyakwanzi District from May 27 to June 5, during which he encouraged MPs to promote the Parish Development Model (PDM), a poverty alleviation program.