Kampala, Uganda: At least 60 Independent Members of Parliament have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), formally establishing a framework for cooperation with the government in the 12th Parliament.
The agreement, signed on Thursday at the Office of the Government Chief Whip, enables the Independent legislators to participate in NRM parliamentary caucus meetings, support government business in Parliament and work with the ruling party in implementing the NRM Manifesto 2026–2031.
The signing ceremony was guided by NRM Director of Legal Services Counsel Enoch Barata and witnessed by the party’s Deputy Secretary General Rose Namayanja Nsereko and National Treasurer Amb. Barbara Nekesa Oundo.
Speaking after the signing, Namayanja said the MoU merely formalises a relationship that had already begun before the inauguration of the 12th Parliament.
“Many of you contested as Independents, but you campaigned alongside President Yoweri Museveni and contributed to the 71 per cent mandate he received. We are proud of that achievement,” Namayanja said.
She revealed that several Independent MPs had approached the NRM leadership even before taking the oath of office, expressing interest in working with the ruling party.
“The Memorandum of Understanding is basically creating a framework of collaboration in implementing the NRM Manifesto. Implementation means supporting government positions in Parliament and participating in party activities while carrying out your responsibilities as Members of Parliament,” she explained.
Namayanja emphasised that the arrangement was based on mutual goodwill and was not unprecedented.
“This is not the first or second cooperation agreement with Independent Members of Parliament. We have had similar arrangements before, and they have benefited both the party and the Members of Parliament,” she said.
She added that while the NRM continues to improve the management of its internal elections, it remains the only political party fielding candidates in virtually every elective position nationwide, making its primary elections among the most complex in the country.
NRM National Treasurer Amb. Barbara Nekesa Oundo welcomed the legislators, saying the cooperation stems from President Yoweri Museveni’s post-election guidance encouraging Independent MPs who are sympathetic to the NRM to work with the government.
“We started this journey immediately after the elections when President Museveni advised that Independent Members of Parliament who are NRM-leaning should be invited to participate in the Kyankwanzi retreat,” Nekesa said.
She clarified that the agreement should not be interpreted as a formal defection to the ruling party.
“These Members of Parliament have not crossed to the NRM. What they have done is create a framework to work with the government in power so that services can easily reach their constituents through implementation of the NRM Manifesto,” she said.
Government Chief Whip Dr Jane Ruth Aceng said the legislators voluntarily sought the cooperation arrangement and would now participate in NRM caucus meetings while supporting government business, including Bills and motions tabled before Parliament.
“As Government Chief Whip, I welcome them and look forward to working together in promoting unity, discipline and effective coordination in Parliament to ensure better service delivery to the population,” Dr Aceng said.
Speaking on behalf of the Independent legislators, Rwampara East MP Charles Ngabirano, who serves as their whip, said the decision was motivated by the need to ensure their constituents benefit from the implementation of the manifesto endorsed by Ugandan voters.
“Political parties contest elections on the basis of their manifestos, and Ugandans chose the NRM manifesto. As Independent Members of Parliament, our responsibility is to ensure our people benefit from its implementation,” Ngabirano said.
He noted that most of the legislators who signed the agreement were former NRM members who had first contested in the party’s internal elections before standing as Independents in the general election.
Counsel Enoch Barata, the NRM Director of Legal Services, said every signatory was given an opportunity to read and understand the terms of the agreement before appending their signature. “Nobody has been enticed with rewards or coerced to associate with us,” he said.
The cooperation agreement is expected to strengthen the government’s numerical advantage in Parliament as the NRM prepares to implement its legislative agenda and deliver on commitments contained in its 2026–2031 manifesto during the life of the 12th Parliament.
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