Minister for Presidency, Hon. Babirye Milly Babalanda, has issued a stern warning to Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), emphasizing the need to eliminate corruption in their respective 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.”
This warning was made during the opening of a 3-day regional capacity building workshop for RDCs, Deputies RDCs, Assistant RDCs, DISOS, and RISO in Kigezi Sub-region, held at Cepha’s Inn, Kabale.
Minister Babalanda reiterated that she will not tolerate corrupt staff for as long as she is in charge of the Presidency.
“You will be individually subjected to the full course of the law just like any other Ugandan.”
She also urged RDCs to learn from President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who constantly makes reference to the Constitution in every action and decision he takes.
“I invite you to learn from the fountain of honor; His Excellency the President… You must follow the law and be guided by it.”
Furthermore, Minister Babalanda reminded RDCs to always listen and follow guidance from their supervisors to make informed decisions.
“Indeed, 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.”
She also thanked some RDCs for listening to advice and instructions from their supervisors, which has led to improved working environments and decision-making processes.
Minister Babalanda emphasized the importance of teamwork among RDCs, urging them to work together to secure their areas, especially at the border-lines, due to the ongoing conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“There could be criminals entering the country who may pose a big danger to our security. I ask the RDCs and DISOs to strongly team up and map strategies for securing your areas.”
She also reaffirmed that President Museveni will stand again for Presidency in the forthcoming General elections, urging RDCs to continue doing their work of auditing, monitoring, and supervising government programs.
The workshop aimed to remind RDCs about their core mandates of supervision, monitoring, and effective representation of the Central Government and the President, as noted by Maj. Martha Asiimwe, Head of the RDC Secretariat.
The Deputy Head of the RDC Secretariat, Sr. Grace Akiror, called for teamwork among RDCs, urging them to evaluate themselves and take interest in learning from people of value.
The Assistant Commissioner in-charge of Monitoring and Evaluation-Office of the President, Felix Olum, emphasized the importance of monitoring and evaluation in tracking progress of ongoing projects and detecting problems.
The Kabale RDC, Godfrey Nyakahuma, thanked Minister Babalanda for improving the efficiency of the Office of the RDC through regular capacity building workshops and zoom meetings.
