On Friday, August 16, 2024, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni met with members of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) caucus at State House, Entebbe, urging them to realign their focus on the party’s founding principles. The President emphasized the importance of adhering to the NRM’s mass-line approach, which prioritizes the needs of the masses over the elite.
During the meeting, President Museveni reminded the caucus of the NRM’s historical strategy for addressing contradictions within the party and government. He stressed the significance of the mass-line, a principle central to the NRM’s mission since its inception, which ensures that the voices of ordinary Ugandans are heard and their needs addressed.
“When the NRM started, other political parties failed because they did not make the masses their focal point,” Museveni said. “They believed that the educated elite could continue to thrive while the uneducated were left behind. We rejected this notion.”
Museveni recounted the NRM’s long-standing commitment to inclusive policies, such as universal immunization, education, prosperity, and security. He highlighted the party’s efforts to ensure that all Ugandans benefit from these initiatives, not just the privileged few.
Citing examples from his own experience, the President recalled, “I was immunized against smallpox while in Senior Three at Ntare School, having never been immunized before. When we came into government, we implemented immunization for all. From there, we introduced prosperity for all and education for all.”
On education, President Museveni expressed concern over government-aided schools imposing unauthorized fees on learners, undermining the country’s free education initiatives. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE) as essential tools for national development.
“Why has the political class failed to recognize the importance of education for all?” Museveni questioned. “There are 11 million children in primary school, but only 1.7 million in secondary school. Where have the remaining nine million gone? They have dropped out because of the fees.”
President Museveni also addressed corruption in the public service, accusing civil servants, including Permanent Secretaries and Chief Administrative Officers, of neglecting their duties. He expressed concern over the rising issue of land rights violations and urged leaders to defend their constituents from unlawful evictions.
Furthermore, Museveni called on the caucus to avoid internal conflicts and instead focus on the core values of Patriotism, Pan-Africanism, Socio-Economic Transformation, and Democracy. “Our mission is not personal gain, but the advancement of the people of Uganda,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Kataaha Museveni, revealed that the government would assume responsibility for various costs currently imposed on learners by government schools. She acknowledged the shortage of teachers as a key issue, which has led to schools charging extra fees to hire privately funded teachers.
“We all know that there aren’t enough teachers in many schools,” Maama Janet said. “As a result, schools charge additional fees to pay these teachers.”
The First Lady also pointed to lunch fees as a significant financial burden that has led to high dropout rates. “Many children do not have lunch at school, so teachers impose charges for it. Unfortunately, these additional costs are forcing many children to drop out,” she added.
In response to these challenges, Maama Janet announced that the Ugandan government had agreed, at the cabinet level, to absorb these extra costs in its upcoming budget plan.
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Museveni Urges NRM Caucus to Reaffirm Commitment to Mass-Line Principles
