The Secretary-Office of the President, Hajji Yunus Kakande has implored the Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) and DISOs to be vigilant and suppress any form of violence, intimidation and harassment that may undermine the 2026 general elections.
“Ladies and gentlemen, as we approach the critical electoral period, it is essential that peace, stability, and security is prioritized in this subregion. As leaders, you have a responsibility of promoting a culture of tolerance, respect, and peaceful coexistence among our people. You must work together to prevent any form of violence, intimidation, or harassment that may undermine the electoral process,” he said.
Hajji Kakande made the remarks on Friday 21st February, 2025 during the closure of the 3-day capacity building workshop for RDCs, Deputy RDCs, Assistant RDCs, DISOS and RISO in Kigezi sub-region, held at Cepha’s Inn, Kabale Municipality.
According to the Secretary-Office of the President, during the forthcoming political season, the RDCs and DISOs should be vigilant and deal with any suspicious activities or security threats.
“You should work closely with all security agencies to ensure that the sub-region remains peaceful and secure,” he said.
“Furthermore, I encourage you to promote peaceful campaigns and encourage our people to exercise their right to vote without fear or intimidation. Let us make this electoral period a celebration of the Country’s democracy and a testament of NRM commitment to peace and stability.”
He also urged the RDCs in Kigezi sub-region to ensure that the good political culture established by the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government is deeply protected.
“Keep the political socialization of our society. Always support the charismatic leaders we have. If you have President Museveni who is charismatic, you should talk to the people to continue giving him a chance by re-electing him until God decides. He has proved that he is a good leader,” he said.
He reminded the RDCs to observe the culture of teamwork and respect in order to achieve a common goal and fulfill their mandate as representatives of the President.
“I want to remind you of the importance of working collaboratively with others to achieve common goals. It’s vital that you foster a culture of teamwork, respect and open communication in order to succeed at your job. Tolerate and respect each other,” he advised.
On the other hand, Hajji Kakande requested the participants to ensure that the citizens receive the services they deserve through promoting good governance, security and effective service delivery.
“The collective goal of the government is to improve the lives of the citizenry. This can only be achieved through effective service delivery. You play a vital role in promoting good governance and accountability within our communities. I urge you to; Mobilize your communities to take ownership of the government projects and programmes; monitor the development projects to ensure that they are implemented effectively and efficiently and foster partnerships with other stakeholders, including all government agencies, civil society organizations, and the private sector to leverage resources and expertise,”he said.
Hajji Kakande also commended the NRM government for the infrastructural development in Kigezi sub region.
“Ladies and gentlemen, as you are aware, Kigezi sub-region under the leadership of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party has experienced heavy investment in infrastructure development. The region is now serviced with good motorable roads and more roads are being worked on. The Kabale-Katuna road, which connects us to the Rwanda border is a testament of the government’s commitment to improving connectivity and facilitating trade.”
“Therefore, as we approach the 2026 election year, it’s critical that you rally support and promote the National Resistance Movement’s Agenda in this region. The NRM party has a proven track record of delivering on its promises, and we must ensure that our people are aware of the progress so far made. Let’s work together to ensure that all people are informed, engaged, and motivated to support the NRM in the 2026 elections.”
Additionally, he tasked the RDCs to mobilise communities to embrace the government’s poverty alleviation programs, aimed at improving their livelihoods.
“You should mobilise communities to participate in the PDM and ensure transparency in the process. The achievements registered by the NRM government can not be taken lightly. I urge you to take ownership of these achievements and share them with your communities,”he noted.
“I encourage you to continue taking ownership of the Model and ensure its successful implementation and monitoring in your respective Districts. mobilize communities to participate in PDM activities; provide technical guidance and support to parish-level structures; coordinate with other stakeholders including NGOs and private sector entities and ensure transparency and accountability in the management of PDM resources.”
Hajji Kakande further encouraged the RDCs and DISOs to work as a team to ensure security in Kigezi and on the borderlines between Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“You must be very cooperative when working with our neighbors. You must ensure that there’s security on all sides.“RDCs in the borderline districts must make sure that we have a good existence with our neighbors after all we are all in the East African Community.”
He also urged the participants to sensitise the public against environmental degradation in order to deal with the adverse effects of climate change.
“The eucalyptus being grown in Kabale is going to cause problems here, it’s destroying the environment. We should replace it with coffee,” he said.
“The consequences of environmental degradation are far-reaching and devastating. I therefore urge you all to join the fight against environmental degradation. You must work together to: Promote sustainable land use practices and reforestation efforts; Protect and restore wetlands and other ecosystems; Adapt to climate change through climate-resilient agriculture and infrastructure development and educate and raise awareness about the importance of environmental conservation.”
The Deputy Director General of the Internal Security Organization (ISO), Col. Emmy Katabazi emphasised the crucial role of the RDCs and DISOs in maintaining security in their areas of jurisdiction.
He also advised the participants to be part and parcel of leaders who help to trigger development in their respective areas.
“As a leader you must be equipped with tools to analyse the society you are in,” Col. Katabazi noted.
Col. Katabazi further urged the commissioners to popularize government poverty alleviation programs like the Parish Development Model (PDM) so that they help Ugandans fight poverty and improve their livelihoods.
“PDM is meant to cultivate the peasants from consumption to business in order to get them out of poverty. It’s upon you leaders to guide those people,” he added.
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