“Some people miscalculated, but slowly we have taken the role in fighting corruption in the army and now we are beginning to wake up. Hon. Balaam is implementing what I have been talking about all the time,” Museveni said.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has tasked NRM Members of Parliament to return to the party’s grassroots methods of leadership and emulate Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara’s approach to fighting corruption and addressing problems affecting communities.
Museveni, who is also the NRM National Chairperson, said MPs should regularly engage citizens, monitor government programmes and directly address challenges in their constituencies instead of relying on highly organised political events.
He made the remarks on Friday, October 2, 2026, while addressing the NRM Parliamentary Caucus at Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala.
The meeting was the fourth of the first session of the 12th Parliament and was held as NRM MPs returned from a three-week parliamentary recess.
Museveni cautioned the lawmakers against corruption and urged them to adopt the grassroots approach to fighting the vice being championed by Balaam.
He described Balaam’s approach as practical and affordable, saying similar methods had helped the NRM build support among citizens.
“Some people miscalculated, but slowly we have taken the role in fighting corruption in the army and now we are beginning to wake up. Hon. Balaam is implementing what I have been talking about all the time,” Museveni said.
The President said the NRM gained the confidence of the people because its leaders were directly involved in addressing problems at community level.
“What Balaam and Nameere are doing; they are fighting corrupt people. That is why I put them into the local government. We fought corruption in the army and now the vice has been in the villages,” he said.
Museveni urged MPs to organise barazas and other grassroots engagements in their constituencies instead of relying on highly organised events that, he said, could create a disconnect between leaders and citizens.
“I appeal to you to interact with the people directly. You will see, it will be easy to solve people’s problems easily. This business of bringing food, water and musicians to sing, it is because you have detached from the people. But deal with the problems. So please go back to the work methods of the NRM,” he said.
MPs tasked to monitor PDM
On wealth creation, Museveni tasked MPs with closely monitoring the Parish Development Model (PDM) in their constituencies to ensure that intended beneficiaries receive funds meant to help them enter the money economy.
He asked MPs to establish which families had received PDM funds and those that had not, saying this would help government reach the 33 per cent of Ugandans he said were not yet in the money economy.
Museveni specifically urged MPs to ensure that the sh1 million PDM revolving fund reaches the intended beneficiaries.
“You as leaders make sure that this one million shillings reaches the people. Inspect that. That is your work as MPs. Spend more time in your constituencies checking how your people are getting out of poverty,” he said.
Museveni directs action on insecurity
On security, Museveni directed the Ministry of Internal Affairs and security agencies to investigate and address reported cases of killings and theft in the Greater Ankole region and neighbouring areas.
He cited reports of more than 15 people being killed in Ibanda, cattle theft in Kyankwanzi and theft in Kagadi as matters of concern.
“The police are supposed to be in the sub-county. I will look into the issues of theft and killings in the villages that are being reported. It is a concern. I have been watching crimes on TV,” he said.
Museveni said he would engage the police leadership to address gaps in policing and security.
Irrigation now a must, says Museveni
On agriculture, Museveni said irrigation should no longer be treated as optional, arguing that it was necessary to stabilise production and increase yields.
“Irrigation is now a must. It stabilizes agriculture but also increases yield,” he said, citing production at a government farm he said was being run with Dr Muranga.
He also reiterated his directive that wetlands must be protected and encroachers removed.
“All those people in the wetlands must get out,” Museveni said, adding that government had programmes to support alternative livelihoods, including fish farming.
He said wetlands were important because they provided water for irrigation and could offer sources of income.
Government to pursue more power, railways
On energy, Museveni said Uganda has a small electricity surplus but must continue developing new generation capacity, including the Ayago hydropower project.
“Electricity, we have a little surplus of electricity, that is why we have to move to Ayago. For electricity we must move,” he said.
He also said government was considering railway development to Karamoja and the Standard Gauge Railway to northern Uganda to improve transport connectivity and link the country to external markets.
Museveni insists on oil value addition
On oil, Museveni said Uganda would continue pursuing value addition, including the development of a petroleum refinery in Hoima.
He said Uganda’s decision to prioritise refinery development before large-scale crude oil production was deliberate.
“The moment we discovered oil, people were saying we should export crude. I told them very clearly, no refinery, no production. It has been there for decades in the ground, let it stay there,” he said.
Museveni said Uganda accepted the crude oil export pipeline through Tanzania while maintaining that the refinery remained central to the country’s oil development strategy.
He also cited the textile industry as an example of the benefits of value addition, saying cotton produced in Uganda should go through several stages of processing before becoming a finished garment.
“That is what we call vertical integration,” he said.
Museveni said value addition increases earnings while creating employment opportunities.
He also cited the dairy industry as an example of horizontal integration through the production of yoghurt, butter and other dairy products.
75 election petitions involving NRM members
Earlier, Government Chief Whip and Chairperson of the NRM Parliamentary Caucus, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, informed Museveni that NRM members were facing 75 election petitions arising from the 2026 general elections.
Aceng said the NRM MPs and flag bearers involved in the petitions were represented by lawyers but were seeking support for legal facilitation.
“A total of 75 petitions involve our NRM MPs and flag bearers. They are all duly represented by counsel. They are requesting support towards their legal facilitation. Kindly look into this request Your Excellency,” she said.
Aceng also reported progress on several legislative matters, including the Agriculture Regulatory Bill, 2026, and a report by the Committee on Physical Infrastructure concerning the Kampala Expressway and toll collections.
She said the report recommended criminal investigations by the Inspectorate of Government, Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Criminal Investigations Directorate and Uganda Revenue Authority.
MPs raise constituency concerns
Other MPs used the meeting to raise challenges affecting their constituencies.
Laura Kanushu, MP representing Persons with Disabilities, raised concern over the alleged diversion of PDM funds intended for persons with disabilities to non-PWD beneficiaries.
Museveni warned against misuse of funds earmarked for PWDs and said the money should benefit the intended beneficiaries.
The President also said government would continue supporting tea production and value addition.
On garbage management, Museveni said government would develop a proposal to improve waste collection and management, noting that garbage could be turned into wealth.
NRM caucus adopts nine resolutions
The NRM Parliamentary Caucus subsequently adopted nine resolutions focusing on corruption, government programmes, security, wealth creation, water, energy, infrastructure and regional integration.
The resolutions committed NRM MPs to continued implementation of government business in Parliament in coordination with the caucus.
On corruption, the caucus resolved to intensify the fight against the vice by returning to the original work methods of the NRM, including engaging citizens on the ground and strengthening supervision of government programmes at local government level, as well as in the health and education sectors.
The MPs also resolved to increase vigilance in monitoring crime, particularly livestock and coffee theft and murders, and to report such cases to relevant authorities.
On economic empowerment, the caucus resolved to intensify monitoring of government development programmes, particularly PDM, to facilitate the inclusion of the 33 per cent of Ugandans who remain outside the money economy.
They further resolved to ensure that PDM funds earmarked for persons with disabilities are strictly disbursed to the intended beneficiaries.
The caucus also resolved to prioritise the production and availability of water for domestic consumption and large-scale irrigation, support additional hydropower projects including Ayago and Kiba, and promote solar and nuclear energy.
The MPs pledged to support expansion of the railway network and the oil refinery as part of efforts to accelerate economic development.
The ninth resolution committed the caucus to supporting political and economic integration of East Africa and Africa towards a common market.