Resident District Commissioners have been urged to take lead in the monitoring of government programs but also popularize them in their respective areas of jurisdiction.
“Let us make surprise visits to places like health facilities to check on the work. We need people to help us monitor this work. For example, many people think government does put drugs in health facilities yet they are there. You need to help us monitor those programs. The Constitution mandates RDCs to take on any other roles prescribed to them by the president or by laws made parliament. The president has been writing guidelines to RDCs and other political leaders from time to time as well as giving directives on some key areas on which to mobilise the population on. Monitoring government programs is one of them,” the third Deputy Prime Minister and Minister without Portfolio, Lukia Isanga Nakadama said.
She was speaking at the opening ceremony of a two day regional workshop for RDCs, their deputies and DISOs and GISO from Lango and Acholi at Boma Hotel, Gulu.
Nakadama said that RDCs have the duty to represent the president in their respective districts and noted that they ought to help in overall supervision and political mobilization.
“You should take lead in mobilizing communities in community policing and ensuring justice, other peace and security issues. RDCs should process the population to take heed of government advice on certain issues. For example in 1987 when there was scarcity of food, programs to ensure increase in production of food were carried out and it was RDCs who popularized them to the public. You need to do this. It is you RDCs to make a lot of effort to see our people are well versed with these programs.”
The third deputy Prime Minister urged the RDCs to equip themselves with information about government programs like the Parish Development Model, Emyooga and Operation Wealth Creation among others that they should popularize to members of the public.
The Permanent Secretary for the Office of the President, Hajji Yunus Kakande said RDCs should ensure Ugandans receive efficient services from government through monitoring their implementation.
“You should ensure implementation of all government programs and projects in your respective areas. The DISO should gather information not only related to security concerns but also open the public eyes on the implementation of government programs and projects. Gather information, analyse it and then pass it to the RDCs and other relevant stakeholders. You are the technical arm to the office of the RDC and their special advisers. If you find that these people are misappropriating funds, write to the auditor general. Carry out forensic audit to find out if there was value for money on what was done,” Hajji Kakande noted.
The Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President however warned RDCs against absenteeism in their areas of jurisdiction that he said would ensure poor monitoring of government programs.
