Minister for the presidency Milly Babirye Babalanda has lambasted resident District/ City Commisioners ( RDCs/ RCCs) lamenting over her strict methods of work noting she is only enforcing what is supposed to be done under the ministry.
The Minister made the remarks during a capacity building workshop of RDCs/ RCCs, NRM District Chairpersons, and other Security Committee members that ran for two days from 2nd to 3rd September.
She was responding to Lyantonde RDC Catherine Kamwine who had raised a concern that the Minister’s highhandedness has threatened them into fearing her.
The minister responded by reminding the officials that they are in office as servants of the central government and thus their allegiance should exclusively be to the appointing authority in particular, and Ugandans in general.
She vehemently trashed the mentality by some RDCs of bearing perceived allegiance to individuals at the expense of the institution they serve. These, Babalanda reminded that business about godfathers ended the time they were appointed to serve and that going forward, it’s all about serving Ugandans.
“My sister the RDC of Lyantonde raised the concern about my method of work to the point that you are ‘fearing me’.I want to remind the RDCs/RCCs that you are Central Government Representatives. You don’t represent individuals. Once you are appointed RDC/RCC you need to know your roles and your supervisors. The only challenge I see is that some of you are stuck in paying allegiance to your godfathers. You need to appreciate that once you were introduced and offered an appointment by the Appointing Authority, that is where your godfathers ended. Going forward, you are now civil servants serving the people of Uganda, ” She emphasised.
Babalanda further lectured the officials on the origins of the guidelines governing their service as RDCs, emphasising that these originate from the 23 Directives and Strategic Guidelines issued by the President. As such, she revealed that “my work is to supervise and guide you.”
She openly told them she will not trade her values of efficiency and transparency in exchange for friendship with sluggish and incompetent office bearersfalling short of the demands of their offices hence failing her administration.
“Unfortunately, some of you have not complied with these guidelines. You don’t expect me to be friends with you when you are failing me,”she warned.
On the issue of RDCs’ transport as raised by one of the members, Babalnda noted that there is need by officials to protect existing assets before yearning for new ones or replacements. This was based on her findings that some RDCs are reported to have been mishandling government vehicles by uthorizing non-staff members to use them which is against the law.
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