President Yoweri Museveni, who is also the National Chairman of the National Resistance Movement, has summoned all NRM Members of Parliament to a meeting this Friday at State House in Entebbe. The meeting, expected to start at 10 am, has not had its agenda made available to MPs, most of whom are just guessing over what is likely to come up for discussion. The notice of the meeting was sent out by Government Chief Whip Denis Hamson Obua, who informed all NRM MPs and those independent MPs supporting the NRM that they all have to attend.

Members of Parliament have been over-speculating on the motive for the meeting, mainly due to a lack of information about its agenda. Some think it could touch on the recent Supreme Court ruling stripping the General Court Martial of some of its powers. It is one of the hot topics in the country and MPs think he may want to discuss that. Others suggest that the meeting could be about the progress of President Museveni’s nationwide tour to promote the Parish Development Model (PDM). The PDM is a government program designed to boost economic growth and reduce poverty at the local level, specifically in parishes.

The Parish Development Model is one of the government’s key projects aimed at improving the lives of ordinary Ugandans. It aims at enhancing household incomes by harnessing poverty-reducing opportunities available to the people, especially in rural areas. Indeed, President Museveni goes around the countryside sensitizing all people on his program, coupled with the repeated calls upon leaders at local level to heed attention to this one. It also may present the MP meeting to assess the appropriateness or otherwise of such a program through effective implementation methods.

This is not the first time President Museveni has summoned NRM MPs to State House for a meeting. Any time meetings like these were held in the past, their intent would be the deliberation on issues crucial to better service delivery of government and an update of party strategies. At one of those meetings, for example, he warned about the need to streamline government agencies with the aim of reducing public spending. He argued that this would help save trillions of shillings, which could then be used for other development projects.

The coming meeting has raised questions about what the President plans to discuss. Some MPs think it could be a routine meeting to update them on government programmes and party matters. Others believe it may be more urgent, especially in light of the recent Supreme Court ruling and given the Parish Development Model implementation challenges. Whatever the agenda, the meeting is expected to be significant as it brings the lawmakers of the ruling party together to discuss the way forward.

The most recent decision, which some MPs believe will be discussed on the floor, circumscribed powers of the General Court Martial. The General Court Martial tries members of the military, but the Supreme Court has ruled it has no jurisdiction to try civilians. A section of MPs argues that this has raised questions over the role of the military in civilian issues and how justice was administered in the country. This means that should it arise for discussion at the meeting, important decisions may be made on how such cases will be handled by the government in the future.

Another probable topic of discussion is the performance of the Parish Development Model. Since its launch, the program has faced challenges of some delays in funding and difficulties in reaching all the intended beneficiaries. This meeting could give the President an opportunity to listen to MPs regarding problems faced by their constituents and to find solutions to these problems. It could also be an opportunity to remind MPs of their role in ensuring government programs are successful in their areas.

This mystery has also been heightened by the fact that the agenda of the meeting was not shared with the MPs. Some have grumbled at being called into a meeting with no notion of what might be discussed, while others see it simply as part of the job description-the President calls the meeting and sets the agenda; they go and take up whatever he puts before them. It is expected that all NRM MPs and their independent allies will attend the meeting despite the uncertainty surrounding it, given the importance of the event both to the party and the government.

Conclusion: The move by President Museveni to summon NRM MPs to State House has sparked off a lot of interest and speculation. Although the agenda to be discussed at the meeting remains unclear, discussions of the Supreme Court ruling on the General Court Martial and an update on the Parish Development Model remain key. This could also provide an avenue for the President to discuss other issues related to government performance and party strategy. Whatever the case may be, the meeting is expected to have a great impact on the future of the NRM and the government’s plans for the country.