The Minister for the Presidency, Milly Babalanda, has warned Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), Resident City Commissioners (RCCs) and their deputies against being distracted by rumours of reshuffles, urging them to focus on delivering government programmes. Babalanda says appointments under the Office of the President are based on merit and that officials who perform well should not panic over speculation about transfers or reappointments.
She was speaking on Wednesday during a capacity-building training for RDCs, RCCs, their deputies and assistants in Jinja City.
Babalanda said the officials are regularly assessed by their supervisors, who guide their performance and suitability for continued deployment. She said some officials have instead become preoccupied with rumours and, in some cases, disrespect their supervisors, creating unnecessary anxiety over their positions.
“Do not concentrate on speculation about appointments, reshuffles and transfers, which are beyond your control, but instead concentrate on improving service delivery, which is the very reason for your appointment,” Babalanda said. She, however, warned that officials who fail to perform should not expect to retain their positions. “Those who fail to perform should not expect to retain offices,” she said.
Babalanda challenged RDCs and RCCs to spend more time monitoring government projects in the field and ensuring that public programmes translate into tangible benefits for citizens.
“The responsibility before you, therefore, is much greater than occupying offices or attending meetings, but rather monitoring government projects extensively. It is about being in the field, understanding what is happening, identifying problems, protecting government interests, and ensuring that public programs have resulted in tangible results for the benefit of the people,” she said.
She said government officials must ensure that their presence is felt through improved livelihoods rather than official statements.
“Make sure that the government’s presence is not only felt through official statements, but rather through the direct impact it can have on individual lives. The people of Uganda expect results and not endless talk. Let us focus on improving the livelihoods of our people through poverty eradication programs like Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga, four-acre model, among others,” Babalanda said.
Babalanda also cautioned the officials against being drawn into partisan political debates and responding to statements made by political actors. She urged them to remain focused on their administrative responsibilities and service delivery.
“Recognize the political environment in which we operate and desist from entertaining political commentary and rumours geared at destroying you. Don’t spend time responding to statements made by political actors, but instead concentrate on your work,” she said.
She also asked RDCs and RCCs to play an active role in fighting corruption in their areas of deployment, saying the effort would help protect public resources and improve service delivery.
However, Babalanda cautioned them against using anti-corruption investigations to settle personal disputes. She said allegations of corruption should be supported by evidence and suspects given a fair hearing before prosecution.
The officials attending the training said the engagement had helped them identify areas where they could strengthen coordination and service delivery.
Ahmed Katerega, the Jinja District RDC, said the training had provided timely guidance and would help them improve their service delivery mechanisms. Katerega said they plan to establish working teams bringing together technocrats and political leaders to improve the implementation and popularisation of government development programmes.
Rodgers Ntogona, the Assistant RDC of Luuka District, said the training had also strengthened teamwork among government officials.
Ntogona said he attends to about six people seeking guidance on how to benefit from government programmes each day. He said the knowledge acquired during the training would be shared with other technocrats to strengthen the chain of service delivery from government offices to communities-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
