VP ALUPO | NRM | MANIFESTO

KYANWANZI - Vice President Jessica Alupo has said cabinet ministers will be expected to present the progress of the implementation of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Manifesto 2021-2026 to the public.  

Alupo said that the government had entered the second year of the manifesto’s implementation and all ministers will be tasked to explain the extent of its performance in their different areas of jurisdiction during the forthcoming Manifesto Week in May 2023. 

The Vice President was on Friday speaking at the close of a three-day retreat for district leaders from Teso, Acholi and Lango sub-regions organised by the Office of the President at the National Leadership Institute (NALI), Kyankwanzi.  

Alupo said that the government had entered the second year of the manifesto’s implementation and all ministers will be tasked to explain the extent of its performance in their different areas of jurisdiction during the forthcoming Manifesto Week in May 2023.

The leaders converged to discuss and validate the progress of the implementation of the NRM manifesto and also deliberate on the commitments and the 23 strategic guidelines and directives as laid out by President Yoweri Museveni.  

Alupo commended leaders including resident city and district commissioners, LC5 chairpersons and NRM party leaders, chief administrative officers, town clerks and district internal security officers for working so hard to make things happen in their districts.  

“I continue to receive impressive reports about your performance in the field, and for these, I wish to congratulate you and commend you for supporting the government,” she said.  

Alupo noted that she had received excellent reports indicating that leaders had improved their service delivery and that their presence was being felt and work recognised by the people. She also commended them for fighting land evictions.  

The leaders converged to discuss and validate the progress of the implementation of the NRM manifesto and also deliberate on the commitments and the 23 strategic guidelines and directives as laid out by President Yoweri Museveni.

“As a result of your vigilance in land-related matters, the rampant and brutal evictions that were the order of the day have now reduced or generally been stopped,” she said, adding that she has continued to get positive comments in the media and in Cabinet about the excellent job the district leaders were doing. 

Other areas of improvement, according to the VP include good media, particularly presence on radios. She said mainly the RDC and RCCs had improved in using radios to mobilise people on service delivery.   

Alupo singled out the leaders’ engagement in the fight against corruption including recovering stolen public funds from corrupt civil servants. She said there were reports that people who had misappropriated the Emyooga money and other government loan scheme money had been forced to pay back.    

The state minister for Kampala, Kabuye Kyofatogabye, said leaders are left with two practical years during which they can implement the manifesto in their areas of jurisdiction.

On land evictions, the VP said the incidents were on the decline due to their vigilance, pointing out that the leaders who were involved in monitoring and pointing out substandard work by contractors in the local government infrastructure projects were on the increase.  

“Overall, you have made a great effort to represent the government and we continue to witness many of you ably speaking on behalf of the government and addressing the public on key issues with the authority and power of your office, congratulations,” she said.  

Willis Bashasha, the director of the Manifesto Implementation Unit, presented some of the outcomes of the leaders’ contributions during the retreat, saying there was a general concern over low staffing levels in the districts.  

It was noted that in some departments staffing was as low as 40%, especially in hard-to-reach districts, which they said might affect the implementation of the manifesto.  

The leaders also hinted at corruption in both the central and local governments, which they said was a strong obstacle to service delivery.  

Alupo noted that she had received excellent reports indicating that leaders had improved their service delivery and that their presence was being felt and work recognised by the people. She also commended them for fighting land evictions.

While presiding at the opening of the retreat, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President, Hajji Yunus Kakande, cautioned city and district councillors against passing resolutions that claim to dismiss RDCs and RCCs.  

He said RCC and RDCs are appointed by the President, and cannot be sacked based on council resolutions, and asked them to continue working as a team to be able to implement the NRM manifesto.  

The state minister for Kampala, Kabuye Kyofatogabye, said leaders are left with two practical years during which they can implement the manifesto in their areas of jurisdiction.  

Kyofatogabye cautioned them against devoting time to fighting each other, saying the President had played his part by introducing the Parish Development Model and it was up to them to ensure it succeeds.