The Minister of Local Government, Kabaka’s Tours and Diaspora Affairs in the Kingdom of Buganda, Joseph Kawuki, has met Kabaka’s chiefs from the counties of Gomba, Busujju, Mawokota, and Butambala to further orient them on government operations and service delivery structures.
The meeting was held at the Gomba County headquarters.
During the engagement, Kawuki said one of the central goals of Buganda Kingdom’s local government framework is to strengthen and consolidate leadership to ensure effective implementation of government programmes, particularly at the sub-county (ggombolola) level.
He noted that sub-county chiefs interact most directly with the Kabaka’s people, making it essential to empower and support them to carry out their responsibilities effectively.
Kawuki also encouraged the chiefs to embrace innovation and actively participate in income-generating initiatives, stressing that creativity should be informed by the environment in which each chief operates.
“Innovation depends on the conditions under which a chief works. For example, chiefs working in urban areas may not have access to enough land, but they can start simple projects such as a car washing facility at the sub-county. On the other hand, a chief with land can establish a coffee plantation or a garden,” Kawuki said.
He added that innovation must be guided by proper leadership and oversight from higher authorities, emphasizing that development initiatives should be environmentally sustainable and aimed at improving the welfare of the Kabaka’s people.
The Kabaka’s County Chief (Kitunzi) of Gomba, Fred Williams Mugabi, urged sub-county chiefs to continuously seek knowledge in order to serve their communities effectively.
“I encourage you to always seek knowledge because the people we serve are informed, educated, and well-researched. If we are to provide solutions and support to them without first acquiring sufficient knowledge ourselves, we risk making mistakes and failing to help them,” Mugabi said.
Meanwhile, the Kabaka’s County Chief of Busujju, Israel Lubega Maaso, said effective application of lessons from the meeting would ease implementation of the Kingdom’s action-based federal system, Federo ey’Ebikolwa.
The meeting also provided a platform for chiefs to raise concerns, share ideas, and seek guidance, with discussions focused on strengthening leadership structures and improving the effectiveness of Buganda’s local government system.
