Minister for the Presidency Milly Babalanda has told Resident District Commissioners and other presidential representatives to make service delivery their strongest response to political criticism, urging them to spend more time in communities and closely monitor government programmes.
Speaking at the close of a three-day capacity-building workshop for RDCs, Deputy RDCs, Assistant RDCs, RISOs and DISOs from the Busoga sub-region in Jinja, Babalanda said citizens judge government through the performance of its representatives at district and community level.
She said RDCs should move away from office-based supervision and physically inspect projects, establish whether public funds are being properly used, confirm that contractors are meeting their obligations and ensure intended beneficiaries are receiving services.
Babalanda said monitoring should go beyond field visits and reports, with officers expected to identify the causes of problems, establish who is responsible and follow up until corrective action is taken. She also urged them to document successful projects so that government achievements are properly recognised.
On corruption, the minister warned RDCs against misuse of public resources, diversion of government programmes and abuse of office, but also cautioned them against making accusations without evidence or using their positions to settle personal disputes.
“The fight against corruption must be conducted responsibly. Let the evidence speak, follow due process and ensure that your actions are guided by the law and the established mandates of the relevant institutions,” she said.
Babalanda also called for stronger cooperation among RDCs, their deputies, security officers, local governments and technical departments, saying internal disagreements should not interfere with service delivery.
“The people of Uganda are not interested in internal disagreements within Government offices. They expect the Government to work,” she said.
Turning to the political environment, Babalanda told the officers not to be distracted by propaganda, rumours and public debate, saying the clearest response to criticism is visible performance.
“Your most effective response is performance,” she said, citing functioning health facilities, properly implemented roads, successful government programmes, protected public resources and peaceful communities as measures citizens can judge for themselves.
She also warned against indiscipline within the RDC structure, saying the conduct of presidential representatives directly affects public confidence in the Presidency.
“Public office is a responsibility entrusted to you for service; it is not a personal entitlement,” Babalanda said.
At the same workshop, Uganda Railways Corporation Board Chairperson and former minister Daudi Migereko urged RDCs in Busoga to shift their attention towards wealth creation and poverty reduction through the government’s four-acre model.
Migereko said the model is particularly relevant to Busoga because of limited land holdings and the low returns many farmers get from growing sugarcane on small plots. He urged farmers to move towards higher-value crops and enterprises capable of generating better returns.
He also proposed the creation of a special desk in Busoga to coordinate implementation of the four-acre model and challenged RDCs to establish demonstration farms in their respective areas.
Migereko further raised concern over Uganda’s growing dependence on imported food, particularly from Tanzania, and urged local leaders to develop production plans that strengthen household incomes and food security.
He said irrigation will be critical to the success of the four-acre model and urged districts to make proper use of government funding already provided for irrigation projects.
The workshop brought together presidential representatives and security officials from across Busoga, with discussions centred on monitoring government programmes, fighting corruption, service delivery and household wealth creation.
