RDCs, RCCs advised to be cautious while executing their roles in Local Gov’ts

The Commissioner, Local Councils Development at the Ministry of Local Government, Mr Swizin Kinga Mugyema, has told Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), Resident City Commissioners (RCCs) and their Deputies that they have a vital role to play when it comes to delivering services at Local Government level.

Lecturing the RDCs and RCCs during their ongoing orientation retreat at the National Leadership Institute (NALI), Kyankwanzi, on Saturday, July 30, 2022, Mr. Mugyema said it was clear from the foregoing that the roles and responsibilities of each organ including the RDC/RCC office are critical in driving the Local Governments agenda.

He said as representatives of the President in their respective districts and cities, Commissioners must coordinate the administration of Government services in their areas of jurisdiction.

“You should also advise the District Chairperson on matters of national nature that may affect the district or its plans or programmes, and particularly the relations between the district and Government,” he urged.

He also reminded them that they are supposed to monitor and inspect the activities of Local Governments and, where necessary, advise the Chairperson; and carry out any other functions as may be assigned to him or her by the Parliament.

“Always monitor the implementation of the Central and Local Government services in the district and also act as Chairperson of the District security committee of the District,” noted Mr. Mugyema.

“Carry out such other functions as may be assigned by the President or prescribed by Parliament by law. You should as well sensitise the populace on Government policies and programmes and in so doing, liaise with the District Chairperson.”

Mr. Mugyema further elaborated to RDCs/RCCs that they should always advise the District Chairpersons to instruct the Chief Internal Auditors to carry out special audits and submit reports to the council for proper accountability and transparency.

“You must always draw the attention of the Auditor General to the need for special investigation audits of the Local Government Council and draw the attention of the Inspector General of Government (IGG) to a need to investigate any cases of mismanagement or abuse of office,” he said.

He, however, advised the Commissioners that as they go about their roles, they should always be careful and execute them within the provisions of the law.

“Any deviation or breach of the Law will be very costly with far – reaching legal and financial implications to the Council. All relevant officials are, therefore, advised to always check all the relevant regulations before taking, concurring or accepting any position that is likely to result in unintended and, some times, counter productive repercussions,” Commissioner Mugyema cautioned.

On the other hand, Eng. Ronald Ssempebwa Kibuuka, the Executive Assistant- Technical Matters to Operation Wealth Creation National Coordinator (Gen. Salim Saleh), urged RDCs/RCCs to be knowledgeable and good researchers if they are to prosper in their careers as President Yoweri Museveni’s representatives in Districts and Cities.

“If you have command on your District, then you have command on everything in it,” Eng. Kibuuka told the Commissioners.

Eng. Kibuuka also took RDCs/RCCs through the history and current situation of Uganda’s economy.

Citing from President Museveni’s popular Economic ideology known as “Musevenomics”, Eng. Kibuuka said before NRM came to power, Uganda’s economy was as good as dead.

“But when the NRM Government came into power, it put in place stimuli that restored the small island of pseudo-modernity, expanded it and deepened its quality. These stimuli included, among others, ensuring security of person and property by disciplining the army and also by returning the property of the Asians that Idi Amin had confiscated precisely because he did not understand the role of the five factors of production in growth and transformation of economies,”he said.

“Government privatised and liberalised the market.These two had the effect of creating more space for the private sector. Government also ensured diversification of cash crops by  advising Ugandans to abandon the ridiculous colonial categorisation of only some few crops as cash crops.”

Eng. Kibuuka added that despite Uganda’s tremendous success story, greater prosperity and security will be built when the country crosses the bridge of political and economic integration.

“This is why the issue of Pan-Africanism is a recurrent theme in most of President Museveni’s speeches and a pillar of the NRM’s ideology.The Government has been very emphatic in getting the private sector to play a pivotal role in the country’s economic development process. The results are very encouraging,” he disclosed.

“It is therefore our considered opinion that RDCs take a collective responsibility to ensure that the subject matter is clearly understood through systematic approach while addressing situations in order to secure the future of Ugandans.”