UDA top officials in week-long tour to learn from Museveni's party

UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar is leading his troops to Uganda where another Kenyan, Martha Karua, is spearheading a fight to rescue Museveni’s rival, Kizza Besigye, from prison where he is facing treason charges.

Last year, former Secretary General, Cleophas Malala, led a team to China where they were hosted by the ruling Chinese Communist Party. 

The Uganda President and his party, National Resistance Movement (NRM), which launched its campaign to Nakasero State House from Nairobi 38 years ago, have made a name in dealing with opponents mercilessly.

Interestingly, Kizza Besigye was grabbed from the streets of Nairobi where he had come to attend Karua’s book launch.

Kenya and Uganda have not always had fluid relations. 

They have been big partners in areas like trade, investment and education. But the neighbours have had their share of tiffs, like the row on the ownership of the Migingo Island in Lake Victoria and periodic trade tensions,

But like neighbours brought together by fate, Kenya and Uganda have somehow learnt to tolerate each other.

President Museveni has visited the country several times, the latest being the Piny Luo festival in Siaya where, together with President Ruto, they were installed as elders.

And now, for six days, UDA members will be in Uganda. Today, the delegation willl be hosted by Museveni, who is the NRM chairman.

“UDA Party Secretary General Hassan Omar is leading a high-level party delegation for a consultative meeting with Uganda’s ruling party, NRM. The UDA team, which will be in Kampala for the whole week, will engage their NRM counterparts in discussing matters of mutual interest to the two parties and the friendly countries,” the party said.

Among the activities lined up was a tour of the NRM Leadership Institute, coming against the backdrop of plans to put up a similar institution in Kenya.

According to the director, Col Okei Rukogota, the institute is a centre of excellence dedicated to developing knowledgeable and visionary leaders committed to the country’s socio-economic transformation.

UDA’s update on X stated that Omar, who is accompanied by National Treasurer Japheth Nyakundi, Executive Director Nicodemus Bore and other members of the national secretariat, expressed interest in starting their own leadership school.

“The visit was part of a broader effort to discover effective strategies and enhance the development of various cadres within the party,” the party said.

“We intend to build a similar institute in Kenya to enhance the ideological training of our UDA cadres to produce ideologically grounded leaders.”

NRM Director of External Affairs, Maj Awich Pollar, who received the delegation at the Entebbe Airport, said the two ruling parties share experiences and best practices and were willing to learn from each other.

“In the spirit of the East African Community and the spirit of Africa, we thought that as progressive parties, we should share a lot in common.”

Earlier last year, photos of Ruto, Museveni and ODM Party Leader Raila Odinga surprised many just days after Raila had declared candidature for the African Union Commission chairmanship.

In more engagements with Museveni, he was at the State House Nairobi in May, which saw Kenya and Uganda sign an agreement on transit of petroleum products.

President Ruto said the agreement would enable Uganda to import refined petroleum commodities directly from the producer countries.

Seven other MoUs were signed in Kampala during the Joint Ministerial Commission meeting ahead of the State visit.

He said he was confident that the agreements would consolidate the relationship between the two countries and anchor it on a “transformative trajectory”.

“As leaders, we are committed to implementing all our obligations in order for our people and nations to reap the full benefits,” he said.