During a six-day official visit, a group of Kenyan leaders from the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) discreetly flew to Uganda to meet with their counterparts in the National Resistance Movement (NRM), the ruling party there.
According to an official statement from the NRM party, UDA leaders came to Uganda on Tuesday, February 4. The NRM’s Director of External Affairs Major Awich Pollar welcomed them at Entebbe Airport.
Pollar states that the ruling parties in both countries have much to learn from one another.
“An influential delegation from Kenya’s ruling party, UDA, has arrived in Uganda for a six-day official visit to the National Resistance Movement (NRM). As the post partially stated, “The two governing parties exchange experiences and best practices and are open to learning from one another.”
The UDA leaders are set to meet with the party leader, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who will brief them on NRM’s history and strengths, as per the schedule of the NRM Director of External Affairs.
“In the spirit of the East African Community and Africa as a whole, we believed that as progressive parties, we should have much in common. We offer a variety of activities for them. Pollar informed that they want to observe how we cultivate our ideological strength.
The leadership of NRM went on to disclose that the two political parties have alike missions of changing the lives of the populace and advocating for a political federation in East Africa.
The UDA’s visit to Uganda’s NRM party was expected, as the party has consistently voiced its admiration for the enduring nature of Uganda’s ruling party.
A delegation of UDA leaders visited the party in Uganda in October 2024 and conveyed their willingness to evaluate its performance in comparison to the longevity of the NRM party.
“We appreciate that you have a solid foundation to draw from, and I look forward to learning from you about structured partnerships (NRM). „Die politische Parteienlandschaft Kenias entwickelt sich von Wahl zu Wahl“, sagte Joash Maangi, der Teil einer siebenköpfigen UDA-Delegation war, die im Oktober NRM besuchte.
In the meeting held in October, UDA’s Secretary General Hassan Omar Hassan commended NRM’s leadership and resilience, describing the meeting as a valuable learning opportunity for his party.
A group of UDA leaders has discussed the possibility of extending President William Ruto’s term in office. Samson Cherargei, the senator for Nandi, suggested a motion in the Senate to extend the presidential term from five to seven years.
The proposal drew a mixed response, with some Kenyans and leaders rejecting it.
It is worth mentioning that UDA has not commented on the second visit to Uganda’s NRM party. UDA has been actively involved with other political parties worldwide. A UDA delegation traveled to China recently to engage in discussions with the Communist Party.
