The Minister of Presidency, Hon. Babirye Milly Babalanda has implored Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) to start mobilizing communities ahead of the 2026 general elections by citing the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Manifesto commitments achieved so far in their respective areas of jurisdiction.
“The political season is now on, with several people wanting to stand in the positions of Member of Parliament. You are unifiers and mobilizers. You should not be seen to divide up the population especially on grounds of politics, religion or even culture,” she said.
Hon. Babalanda made the remarks today in a message delivered by the Senior Presidential Advisor- Research, Dr. Dan Ssekiboobo during the closure of a 3-day capacity building workshop for RDCs/RCC, Deputy RDCs/RCCs, Assistant RDCs/RCCs, DISOs and RISOs in Greater Ankole Sub-region held at Hotel Triangle in Mbarara City.
The Minister also cautioned the RDCs against misuse of office and mandate.
“RDCs are supervised and they get orders from H.E the President, the Minister for the Presidency, the Secretary, Office of the President and the Head, RDC Secretariat,”sbe noted.
“I thank those of you who are listening to our advice and instructions and have completely adjusted your working environments to allow for accountable decision making, good team work and cordial relationships. We are already seeing the fruits of this.”
On the matter of corruption, Hon. Babalanda urged the commissioners to continue fighting hard to eliminate the vice in their districts.
“As the Office of the President, we are champions of a corrupt-free country. We do not work with corrupt staff. If you are caught red-handed, no one will defend you. You will be individually subjected to the full course of the law just like any other Ugandan,” she warned.
“I invite you to learn from the fountain of honor; His Excellency the President who constantly makes reference to the Constitution in every action and decision he takes. Yet as President you would assume he would act the other way, like those he succeeded. You must follow the law and be guided by it.”
Hon. Babalanda further called on the commissioners to take advantage of the media to mobilise Ugandans on service delivery.
“It is noted that there are few of you who actually use the media to mobilize the people in this subregion yet it is a very powerful tool at your disposal. You should not keep silent when our people are denied services from the government. You have the information the people need to learn of how their government is intervening in their situations. Please share this information as widely as possible.”
Hon. Babalanda also implored the commissioners to continue mobilising Ugandans to embrace government programs such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) in order to fight poverty and improve their livelihoods.
“I wish to thank you for hosting the President while on his recent zonal tour of PDM performance in Ankole. These were successful visits and I congratulate both offices of the RDC and DISO for a job well done. As the Presidency we did not observe any anomalies,”she said.
“If you listen to him carefully, the President is offering very good advice to the people. And if you follow our guidance, as chief mobilizers in your respective districts and cities; you will be in an excellent position to effectively supervise and monitor implementation of the PDM.”
On the other hand, Hon. Babalanda advised the RDCs and their deputies to mentor the Assistant RDCs/RCCs since they are new in the system.
“His Excellency the President and Appointing Authority appointed two Assistant RDCs/RCCs in each of your respective offices. The new staff are largely charged with general mobilization and promotion of patriotism. Please mentor them and enable them to undertake these roles alongside the others in the office,” she said.
“The assistants should concentrate largely on mobilization matters as we head towards 2026. Remember, this is a democratic government and we depend on people’s votes. When we lose power on the account of this, you also automatically lose your job.”
The Minister also reiterated her confirmation that President Museveni will stand again in the forthcoming general elections.
“I therefore ask that you continue doing your work of auditing, monitoring and supervising government programs bearing this in mind.”
Representing the Director General of Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC), Dr. Karyabakabo Zepher, the Director Policy, Research and Programming-UAC highlighted the status of HIV/AIDS in Uganda.
He revealed that currently Uganda has 1,492,000 people living with HIV with 38,000 new infections annually.
“In 2023, there were 20,000 AIDS related deaths,” Dr. Karyabakabo said.
“In Ankole subregion, Mbarara City is leading in HIV prevalence with 11.1 percent and Buhweju with the lowest prevalence of 3.9 percent.”
Dr. Karyabakabo also commended President Museveni for being a global leader in the fight against HIV.
“Due to his efforts, HIV prevalence has dropped from 18 percent in early 1990s to 5.1 percent by 2023,” he noted.
“H.E the President has consistently indicated the need to raise the level of awareness on HIV among the population. H.E during his speech on World AIDS Day 2022 and New Year Message re-emphasized the need to amplify HIV message through the RDCs/RCCs to the communities.”
Dr. Harry Mwebesa Beyanga, who presented a paper on the introduction of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in Africa, explained that ADR in Africa including Uganda has deep historical and cultural roots, dating back to pre colonial times when communities used traditional mechanisms such as mediation, conciliation and arbitration to resolve disputes. He however revealed that the introduction of formal legal systems during colonial rule led to the decline in these indigenous practices.
“However, in the recent decades, ADR has been revitalized as a means of reducing court congestion, providing affordable justice and preserving relationships in both civil and commercial disputes,”Dr. Mwebesa noted.
He also highlighted the advantages of using ADR over litigation such as being cost effective, time efficient, builds and preserves relationships, flexible and less adversarial.
He also tasked the RDCs to always apply ADR strategy in solving some cases.
“ADR offers a valuable and often more efficient and cost effective means in resolving disputes compared to traditional litigation, promoting flexibility, confidentiality and faster resolutions, ultimately leading to better outcomes a s potentially preserving relationships.”
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