President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni warned National Resistance Movement (NRM) lawmakers on Monday to intensify the fight against corruption and absenteeism in public service.
This directive comes as the administration seeks to maintain economic growth and public trust by ensuring that government programs reach ordinary Ugandans. Failure to address these systemic issues threatens the party's socioeconomic transformation agenda.
Speaking at the Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala, Museveni addressed the third NRM Parliamentary Caucus of the 12th Parliament [1]. He tasked the members of parliament with strengthening their oversight of government programs to ensure efficiency and integrity in delivery.
The president said that lawmakers must uphold integrity and strengthen internal party democracy. He said there is a need to combat corruption and absenteeism, specifically noting the impact of missing personnel in critical public services.
Among the targets of the president's criticism were absentee doctors. Museveni said that such absenteeism hinders the delivery of essential healthcare and undermines the state's commitment to its citizens.
Lawmakers were told to focus on the needs of the population and the implementation of the party's development goals. The president said that strengthening oversight is the primary mechanism to ensure that public resources are not diverted by corrupt officials.
The meeting served as a directive for NRM members to align their legislative efforts with the executive's goals for public service reform. Museveni said that the war on corruption must be intensified to prevent the erosion of state institutions.
“President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni warned National Resistance Movement (NRM) lawmakers to intensify the fight against corruption.”
This move signals a push from the executive branch to hold legislative allies accountable for the failures of the bureaucracy. By specifically targeting absenteeism in the health sector and corruption in government programs, Museveni is attempting to address public frustration with service delivery while consolidating party discipline within the 12th Parliament.
