KYANKWANZI, UGANDA — At the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and independent Members of Parliament (MPs) retreat held on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi District, President Yoweri Museveni served blunt political assessment with philosophical reflection — linking Uganda’s immediate circumstances to global ambitions and the self‑reliance he says Ugandans must embrace.
Addressing the more than 350 newly elected MPs from the ruling party and about 40 aligned independents, Museveni spoke candidly about his personal lifestyle, global competition, and the need for strategic ambition.
“I have not eaten rice since I came back from Tanzania in 1979,” he told delegates, emphasizing simplicity and endurance. “I have my food: cassava, bananas, millet, peas, and groundnuts. When there was a war in Ukraine, people said we were going to starve. I said to myself, I won’t starve.”
You can read about Museveni’s 90 cooks — their names and salaries Here and There.
But while recounting his resilience, Museveni contrasted Uganda’s local reality with what he called advanced nations’ four‑dimensional operations — land, air, sea, and space.
“Some countries, like the United States, are operating in four dimensions: land, air, sea, and space. As we are speaking now, one of the satellites of the USA is going around the moon,” he said.
“For us, we are here in Kyankwanzi eating macaroni. This is very dangerous.”
The president’s metaphor took center stage — describing Ugandans as “dancing paka chini,” an expression meaning dancing to the ground, while those on the moon are looking down at us like ants. He said this disparity must spur Uganda and the East African region toward broader horizons — even space exploration — and greater technological and security ambitions.
“The moon is a common property for man,” Museveni said, framing space not as aspirational fantasy but as a frontier where knowledge and influence matter.
He extended that call to regional cooperation: “That is why we are for the political federation of East Africa. We don’t want to fight other people, but we want to be able to go into the ocean and find out what is happening in there, and for security purposes.”
Strict Rules, Focused Retreat
The week‑long retreat — scheduled from April 7 to April 15 — is more than a social gathering: it is tightly structured with rules designed to enforce concentration and ideological alignment.
Participants were told that phones, laptops and alcohol may be restricted, and that a quiet, focused environment would be maintained during plenary sessions to maximize engagement.
The retreat is also seen as a tradition of induction and alignment for newly elected legislators. More than 350 NRM MPs, including the majority who are first‑time lawmakers, joined senior party leaders and aligned independents to prepare for the legislative agenda of the next five years. Programs are expected to cover governance priorities, national development strategies, and ideological cohesion ahead of the opening of the 12th Parliament.
NRM officials have emphasized that the sessions are about party principles and Uganda’s national challenges — from peace and security to poverty reduction and infrastructure. The Secretary General of NRM, Richard Todwong, has underscored that ideological alignment among MPs is a key purpose of the retreat and not merely routine orientation.
Drama Before Arrival
Even before Museveni’s keynote, the retreat was not without tension. It was reported that Persis Namuganza, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, alleged that some NRM officials tried to block her participation. She appealed directly to Museveni — her appointing authority and party chairman — to secure her attendance despite internal disputes.
In Kyankwanzi this week, what began as a retreat for legislative induction has become a stage for broader debate — from global ambition and regional unity to political contests, party discipline, and ideological discipline. Museveni’s sharp metaphors and wide‑ranging remarks have set the tone for discussions that may shape Uganda’s policy direction as the 12th Parliament prepares to sit.
Also present at the retreat was Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Norbert Mao, who is also the Democratic Party (DP) president general and is actively seeking to replace Anita Among as Speaker of Parliament. Mao’s participation — unusual for a leader outside the ruling party — signals a rare moment of cooperation, even as political undercurrents swirl around speakership contests.
Norbert Mao has labelled Anita Among an accidental speaker, and vowed to remove her. (See Details Here and There).
