UDA Hosts Uganda’s NRM Delegation for Benchmarking Tour on Kenya's Economic Model

Nairobi, Kenya – The ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) of Kenya has hosted a high-level delegation from Uganda’s National Resistance Movement (NRM) as part of a strategic benchmarking tour aimed at fostering mutual political and economic learning between the two dominant parties in the region.

The NRM delegation, led by the party’s Secretary General, Rt. Hon. Richard Todwong, visited Kenya’s Presidential Economic Council on Thursday. The visit provided the Ugandan delegation with firsthand insights into the economic model championed by Kenyan President Dr. William Samoei Ruto.

UDA Secretary General, Senator Hassan Omar, welcomed and escorted the NRM team to the Presidential Economic Council offices. The visiting Ugandan officials were then briefed by a panel of senior advisors forming President Ruto’s economic think tank, including Prof. David Ndii (Chairperson of the Council), Prof. Edward Kisiang’ani, Phyllis Kandie, Augustine Cheruiyot, Prof. Abdi Guliye, and Mohammed Hassan.

During the meeting, Prof. Ndii explained that the Presidential Economic Council is a team of practicing scholars and experts mandated to implement the President's Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), which forms the foundation of the Kenya Kwanza manifesto.

"The president has a team of senior advisors who are practicing scholars forming a think tank. We are charged with implementing his manifesto which is anchored on five pillars: Health, Agriculture, Housing, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and Information Communication Technology (ICT)," said Ndii.

The NRM delegation also comprised Major (Rtd) Awich Pollar Awich, Director of External Affairs at the NRM Secretariat, and Col. Okei Rukogota, Head of the National Leadership Institute Kyankwanzi, Uganda’s premier political training school.

This benchmarking initiative is part of broader efforts by both parties to strengthen regional integration, party-to-party cooperation, and the exchange of governance strategies. According to Hon. Todwong, the visit offers NRM an opportunity to learn from UDA’s innovative approaches to economic planning, implementation of campaign pledges, and evidence-based policy formulation.

"Kenya and Uganda share historical, political, and economic ties. As parties that lead our respective governments, it is vital to learn from each other, build synergies, and grow together in service delivery and policy innovation," Todwong remarked.

The meeting marks a significant milestone in cross-border party collaboration within the East African Community (EAC), laying the groundwork for future engagements between political parties seeking to align their governance models with contemporary economic demands.