Museveni Advises NRM MPs to Scale Back Foreign Travel
President Yoweri Museveni has encouraged newly elected legislators from the National Resistance Movement (NRM) to limit overseas trips and instead concentrate on engaging directly with citizens at the grassroots level to accelerate rural development.
Speaking during a campfire session at the National Leadership Institute, the President emphasized that meaningful leadership begins with a clear understanding of household economic conditions within constituencies.
“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 warned that excessive participation in parliamentary committee duties and international benchmarking visits can distance leaders from the realities faced by ordinary citizens.
“If you benchmark too much outside, you disconnect yourself from your constituents,” he said, urging lawmakers to invest more time in field engagement.
Museveni also cautioned MPs against accumulating personal debt while trying to support their communities, advising them to instead leverage existing government programmes aimed at boosting household incomes.
He identified agriculture and small-scale businesses as key pillars of economic transformation, citing activities such as coffee farming, dairy production, poultry keeping, piggery, fish farming, and fruit growing as practical income-generating options for households.
Drawing on his own experience, the President noted that sustained mobilisation efforts in his home area have enabled thousands of families to transition into the money economy.
He further highlighted the need for strategic infrastructure, particularly water projects in regions like Karamoja, where dams play a crucial role in supporting livestock farming.
“If we work together and focus on the people, we shall succeed,” he added.
Other leaders echoed his message during the meeting. Vice President Jessica Alupo praised Museveni’s continued guidance on socio-economic transformation, while Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa called for collective support of the President’s agenda.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja also emphasized the importance of cooperation between Parliament and the Executive to effectively deliver on national development goals.
