By Eye Media Uganda | Jan 28, 2026
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has called on leaders to prioritise identifying and solving people’s practical needs, noting that this philosophy has guided the National Resistance Movement (NRM) since the 1960s.
The President, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), made the remarks on Tuesday while presiding over the election of UPDF representatives to Parliament at the Land Forces Headquarters in Bombo.
During the Defence Council Delegates Conference, UPDF officers elected ten representatives—seven men and three women—to serve in the 12th Parliament.
The elected male representatives are Lt. Gen. Sam Okiding, who garnered 340 votes; Lt. Gen. James Mugira with 303 votes; Lt. Gen. Sam Kavuma with 282 votes; Brig. Gen. Gonyi David with 266 votes; Maj. Gen. Henry Masiko with 251 votes; Maj. Gen. James Kinalwa with 241 votes; and Brig. Gen. Joseph Ssemwanga with 198 votes.
The elected female representatives are Col. Meeme Sylvia, who received 314 votes; Col. Ikiriza Knight with 307 votes; and Col. Nekesa Christine Situma with 261 votes.
In his address, President Museveni thanked the UPDF High Command for nominating the officers and emphasised the importance of leaders who can identify and work on citizens’ solvable challenges.
He cited the Runyankore concept of “okukyenura,” which he described as the deliberate identification and resolution of people’s practical problems.
Reflecting on the NRM’s early achievements, the President noted that by 1996 the Movement had restored discipline in the army, rejected sectarian politics, eliminated shortages of essential commodities, rebuilt key infrastructure, and rolled out immunisation against the six killer diseases. He said these interventions earned the NRM massive public support.
The President further highlighted government programmes aimed at uplifting the poor, including Entandikwa, Universal Primary Education, army schools, NAADS, Operation Wealth Creation and the Parish Development Model (PDM), which he said is currently yielding positive results at the grassroots.
According to President Museveni, the renewed enthusiasm witnessed around the NRM in the recent elections reflects these interventions and the peace the Movement has maintained.
He explained that UPDF representatives in Parliament act as observation posts to identify national issues early and report them to the army leadership, thereby helping to prevent policy mistakes. He cited the decision by Members of Parliament to increase their salaries as an example of an issue that could have been addressed earlier.
The President tasked the newly elected UPDF MPs to closely monitor government programmes, including the Parish Development Model, free education, road construction and immunisation. While noting improvements in preventive healthcare, he acknowledged that challenges remain in curative services.
On electoral governance, President Museveni reiterated that the NRM’s long-standing objective is to place Ugandans in charge of their country through one person, one vote by secret ballot. He revealed that irregularities, including the infiltration of an estimated 2.7 million votes, were detected in the 2021 general elections—hence his insistence on biometric verification systems, which he said were not fully utilised.
The President emphasised that national stability depends on allowing citizens to freely choose their leaders and commended the UPDF and other security agencies for maintaining security during the recently concluded elections.
The Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission, Justice Simon Byabakama, congratulated UPDF officers for exhibiting discipline throughout the voting process and expressed hope that the same discipline would be upheld in other electoral exercises across the country. He urged all stakeholders to embrace unity as the election season comes to an end.
During the same ceremony, President Museveni commissioned three officer cadets presented by Maj. Gen. James Kinalwa, Joint Staff Human Resource Management.
The commissioned officers are Bazalaki Timothy, who trained at General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University in Sri Lanka, and Akoi Moses and Piloya Vivian, both of whom completed their training in Tanzania.
