The United Democratic Alliance (UDA), the ruling party in Kenya led by President William Ruto, has revealed plans to send 100 of its members to Uganda for a leadership training program.
This move is part of a growing partnership between UDA and Uganda’s ruling party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM), which is headed by President Yoweri Museveni.
According to an official statement released on Friday, May 9, the training will take place at the National Leadership Institute located in Kyankwanzi, Jinja, Uganda.
The decision follows a series of high-level meetings between officials from both political parties aimed at strengthening their ties and sharing leadership strategies.
The announcement was made after UDA’s Secretary General, Senator Hassan Omar, met with NRM’s Secretary General, Rt. Hon Richard Todwong, at the UDA headquarters, known as Hustler Plaza.
The party said, “The two Secretary Generals held discussions on a range of issues that are of mutual interest to both UDA and NRM.
One of the key outcomes of the meeting was an agreement to send 100 UDA members to Uganda’s National Leadership Institute in Kyankwanzi for a structured leadership course.”
This move comes after a recent visit to Kenya by top NRM officials, who were in the country for four days.
The Ugandan delegation was led by Maj (Rtd) Awich Pollar Awich, NRM’s Director of External Affairs, and Col Okei Rukogota from the National Leadership Institute in Kyankwanzi.
They were officially welcomed in Nairobi by UDA’s National Treasurer, Hon Japheth Nyakundi.
UDA confirmed the visit through a statement issued on Thursday, May 8. The party explained that the NRM officials had traveled to Kenya following an official invitation from UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar.
UDA stated, “The delegation was received by our National Treasurer, Hon Japheth Nyakundi, as they arrived for consultations and cooperation discussions.”
It was also confirmed that NRM’s Secretary General, Richard Todwong, would later join his team for further meetings with the UDA leadership.
These continuous engagements between the two ruling parties highlight the deepening of their political collaboration.
Just a few weeks ago, another high-profile UDA delegation of 19 members, also led by Hassan Omar, had visited Uganda for official talks.
During that visit, they met with President Museveni and other senior NRM leaders. One of the key highlights of their trip was a tour of the NRM’s leadership academy, a well-established institution that trains party leaders in political management and governance.
UDA expressed strong interest in adopting a similar model in Kenya. The party sees this kind of structured leadership training as essential for building a solid political foundation and improving the leadership capacity of its members.
During an earlier visit in October 2024, UDA’s Joash Maangi openly praised NRM’s well-organized political system, stating, “We admire your strong foundation and are keen to learn from your example.
We are looking forward to developing a structured partnership that allows us to benefit from your experience.”
This latest initiative by UDA also comes at a time when political links between Kenya and Uganda are being closely watched.
Interestingly, the Ugandan delegation’s arrival in Kenya happened shortly after reports emerged that some Kenyan nationals had crossed the border to take part in Uganda’s NRM grassroots elections.
Their participation caused unexpected disruptions and led to the suspension of voting in several areas due to chaotic scenes.
Despite this, both parties appear committed to building a long-term political alliance. For UDA, sending 100 members to undergo leadership training in Uganda represents a significant investment in its future leadership and a step toward institutionalizing political education within the party.
Join Gen Z New WhatsApp Channel To Stay Updated On time https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaWT5gSGufImU8R0DO30
