NRM members attending the Kyankwanzi retreat have failed to reach a consensus on the controversial proposed bill to provide for Presidential Transition.
This comes just days after Buikwe South MP Dr. Lulume Bayiga was denied leave of parliament to table a Private Members’ Bill on Presidential Transition.
Sources from Kyankwanzi indicate that the matter was raised by Iganga district Woman MP Olivia Kabaale who sought to know the party’s position on this bill.
In response, the Deputy Attorney General Fred Ruhindi said the Inter-Party Organization for Dialogue was considering the issue among other proposed constitutional amendments so there was no need for the opposition to rush.
He explained that the proposed bill was being misinterpreted because originally it was meant to give security to the outgoing president to ensure comfort but not to oversee his way out.
The issue is expected to be discussed further in the due course.
In a related development, President Yoweri Museveni has expressed concern over the high temperatures currently experienced in many parts of the country.
Addressing NRM caucus members attending a week-long retreat at the National Leadership Institute in Kyankwanzi, Museveni blamed the excessive heat on destruction of the wetlands.
He is now calling for support to ensure that the wetlands that have been encroached upon are reclaimed, suggesting that a fund be set up to compensate the affected people.
Earlier, Sudanese Vice-President, Hasabo Mohammed Abdalla, hailed the NRM Caucus members for holding an annual retreat where they exchange ideas that are beneficial to society.
This came shortly after President Museveni held a meeting with South Sudanese Vice-President.
Vice President Abdalla has proposed exchange visits between members of the NRM Caucus with those of their National Congress Party of the Sudan in order to strengthen the African solidarity and cooperation for the good of the people of the continent.
Members of the NRM who were recently appointed by president Museveni to take up top party positions will not resign.
This has been confirmed by the party’s outgoing Chief Whip Kasule Lumumba who was appointed Secretary General among three other leaders.
Lumumba is however optimistic that by the end of the NRM Caucus retreat, the president will have found their replacements.
The others to be replaced include Richard Todwong who became the party’s Deputy Secretary Seneral, Rose Namayanja who is the party National Treasurer and Kenneth Omona who is the deputy treasurer.
Meanwhile she says Political experts from Ethiopia and Malaysia are to address NRM legislators in Kyankwanzi this week on issues to do with political ideology and economic transformation.
Still in a related development, the leader of opposition in parliament Wafula Oguttu says he is not moved by the presence of independent legislators in Kyankwanzi.
Oguttu says he was informed that the MPs were invited as resource persons as the NRM debates electoral reforms.
He however says if the MPs attend the whole week retreat, then questions should be raised.
In an earlier development,
Independents MPs were asked to desist from taking sides while performing their duties.
This is after a total of 35 out of 43 independent MPs chose to attend the NRM retreat at the National leadership institute in Kyankwanzi.
Their chairperson of the independents in parliament, Sam Otada says the legislators who attended the retreat are opportunists and should be condemned.
Otada however says there is little he can do to bring the MPS to order
During the week-long retreat that opened yesterday, the NRM leaders are expected to among other things review the party’s manifesto for the past five years.
The NRM’s annual retreat is running under the theme; Fast tracking NRM manifesto 2011-16: Our commitment to service delivery, job and wealth creation.
