55 Independent MPs Sign Cooperation Deal with NRM, Back Government Positions

What the report says

Fifty-five Independent Members of Parliament have entered into a cooperation agreement with Uganda’s ruling National Resistance Movement, according to Nile Post. The arrangement was signed on Thursday at Parliament and was witnessed by NRM leaders and members of the party’s Parliamentary Caucus.

Under the deal, the MPs are not joining the NRM formally. Instead, they are expected to work with the party’s caucus, take part in its activities and support government positions during parliamentary business. Government Chief Whip Ruth Aceng said the agreement is meant to give the Independents space to engage with the caucus while backing government motions and legislation.

The signing was also attended by NRM Deputy Secretary General Rose Namayanja, who led the party Secretariat team. She said the lawmakers involved are those who had already expressed interest in cooperating with the party, and added that discussions continue with other Independent MPs. Namayanja also rejected claims that the same group had already signed a similar agreement in May.

The development matters because it could help the NRM coordinate more closely with a larger bloc in Parliament as major legislative business comes up. More broadly, such cooperation deals are a common feature in multi-party legislatures where independents may align with a governing party on specific issues without changing party membership.