President Yoweri Museveni has cautioned members of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Parliamentary caucus against using their own money in the areas they lead, saying it is a huge mistake which creates leaders who are indebted.
“You will get leaders who are indebted. Indebted leaders are dangerous,” President Museveni warned.
The President, in the company of the First Lady Maama Janet Kataha Museveni, was opening a 10-day NRM Parliamentary Caucus retreat at the National Army Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi.
He instead called upon the members to preach the NRM agenda for the socio-economic transformation of the people which is for all homesteads to engage in producing goods or services with ekibaro, imara (calculation) for sale which will in turn lead to prosperity for all.
The government is currently pushing for all Ugandans to join the money economy through Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga, and other Wealth Creation programmes.
“Encourage people to modernize. Go from the traditional way of doing things to the modern way of doing things,” the President said.
President Museveni was happy to note that some Ugandans have started listening to the NRM message of socio-economic transformation citing the cattle corridor which has adopted dairy farming, Masaka which is into coffee growing and Kalangala which has embraced palm oil growing.
The Head of State who doubles as the National Chairman of NRM also cautioned the members about blocking his developmental proposals as this delays development.
“Stop blocking my proposals. You are wasting time. By now, Uganda would be very far in development.”
Furthermore, Museveni cautioned the NRM Caucus members to avoid the politics of identity and instead devote their efforts to the politics of interest noting that the politics of identity seeks to divide the people while the politics of interest brings the people together because it does not discriminate.
“Politics of identity against the politics of interest is what made the NRA differ from Kabaka Yekka party and UPC,” he noted.
The retreat was called at the turn of two years since President Museveni was sworn in for a new term (2021-2016) whose electoral campaign catchphrase was “Securing Your Future.”
The retreat is centred on the MPs’ involvement in Wealth Creation programmes, among other issues.