President Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Museveni blamed the fall in popularity of the party in Kampala on a few lazy leaders who he said did nothing to promote party ideologies.
President Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Museveni has blamed the National Resistance Movement (NRM)’s loss of fame in Kampala on some lazy leaders he claims have not done enough to market the party ideologies.
Museveni made the claims while speaking at the official opening of the retreat for newly elected MPs at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi on Thursday.
He said whereas the party has put in place enough socio-economic structures, NRM leaders have done little to implement them leaving a big section of Ugandans frustrated.
Museveni in particular cited the free education system that was introduced in some schools countrywide. He said some USE and UPE headteachers illegally distort money from students and parents which leaves those who are unable to afford to drop out of school.
“Some of the problems we have in areas like Kampala are due to our leaders. We brought UPE and USE but the local elites have refused to implement them. We brought UPE but head teachers are still charging money yet leaders don’t want to speak out for fear of antagonizing the head teachers,” Museveni said.
“It is those children dropping out school who are joining NUP. So this time, we must agree that anybody who doesn’t implement UPE must go because they are creating problems for us.”
Museveni also tasked the newly elected NRM legislators not to emulate their predecessors. He advised them that they should stick to providing proper service to people and that way they will always be remembered.
The president reminded them that once they abandon the people’s problems, they (the people) will continue voting them out of power.
“Your predecessors sometimes don’t attend to such things and think leadership is public relations by attending burials and sitting in churches the whole day even if they have nothing to contribute. It will fail because people are looking for solutions and not public relations. When you don’t solve people’s problems, they abandon you,” he said.
“I want you to appreciate the issues that affect the masses and address them practically. All this, we have talked about it before but people don’t take them serious and by the time they realize this, it is too late.”
