NRM strengthens Parliamentary majority

What the report says

More than 60 Independent Members of Parliament in Uganda have signed a memorandum of understanding with the ruling National Resistance Movement, giving the party a broader working majority in the 12th Parliament, according to The Independent Uganda. The agreement was signed in Kampala on Thursday and sets out a formal framework for the MPs to cooperate with the NRM on parliamentary business.

Under the arrangement, the Independent legislators may attend NRM caucus meetings, back government positions on Bills, motions and budget matters, and help advance the party’s 2026-2031 manifesto. NRM officials, including Deputy Secretary General Rose Namayanja Nsereko, National Treasurer Barbara Nekesa Oundo and Director of Legal Services Enoch Barata, said the deal does not amount to a defection, but rather formalises an existing relationship with Independents who want to work with the government.

Government Chief Whip Jane Ruth Aceng welcomed the move, saying it should improve coordination between Parliament and the Executive. Speaking for the MPs, Rwampara East lawmaker Charles Ngabirano said the cooperation is intended to help constituents benefit from government programmes. The article also notes that some signatories previously belonged to the NRM but ran as Independents after losing party primaries.

The Independent cited governance expert Timothy Msobor Chemonges as saying parliamentary caucuses can significantly shape legislative positions before issues reach the floor. It also placed the development in the wider context of Uganda’s post-election Parliament, where the NRM already holds the largest bloc of seats.