Government has directed all Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) and their deputies to step up efforts to fight corruption across the country as part of a renewed campaign to improve service delivery.
The minister for the Presidency, Milly Babirye Babalanda, said the directive was issued by President Museveni, who believes RDCs have a critical role to play in identifying corrupt public officials and supporting ministers in ensuring government programmes are properly implemented.
Babalanda said RDCs are expected to closely monitor the performance of civil servants in their respective districts and report any cases of corruption, negligence or poor service delivery.
“I have also directed RDCs to submit reports on what they have discovered regarding the performance of civil servants in their respective jurisdictions,” Babalanda said.
She explained that the reports will guide government ministers during their planned visits to local governments to assess the implementation of government programmes and identify areas where public resources have been misused.
“These reports will be used by government ministers as they visit local governments to establish whether government programmes have been implemented effectively,” she said.
Babalanda noted that many government projects, including school buildings, health facilities, roads and the Parish Development Model programme, have either stalled or been poorly implemented because of corruption.
“We are aware that many school buildings, health facilities, roads and Parish Development Model programmes have not been implemented effectively. This exercise is intended to address corruption and improve service delivery,” she said.
The minister praised RDCs who have helped expose corrupt officials, saying their efforts have led to the interdiction of several public servants accused of mismanaging public funds.
“I applaud the RDCs who have worked tirelessly to expose corrupt officials, many of whom have since been interdicted,” she said.
However, she warned RDCs against engaging in corruption, saying her ministry would not tolerate officers who abuse their offices.
“I strongly warn RDCs who are involved in corruption that my ministry will not tolerate such conduct,” Babalanda said.
She said the government remains committed to eliminating corruption and ensuring that taxpayers’ money is used for its intended purpose.
“There are many government programmes that have either not been completed or have not been implemented at all, and this has affected service delivery. We must protect taxpayers’ money at all costs,” she said.
Babalanda also urged Ugandans to participate actively in the forthcoming Local Council One (LC1) elections by choosing leaders who will promote accountability and improve service delivery in their communities.
