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Cabinet induction eyes middle-income status
The mandatory induction for all 78 newly appointed ministers has been more than a ceremonial orientation. It has been an intensive leadership programme carefully designed to prepare the Cabinet for the enormous responsibility that comes with steering government programmes at a time when our country is entering a critical phase of implementation.
Milly Babirye Babalanda. (File)
By: Admin ., Journalist @New Vision
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OPINION
By Milly Babirye Babalanda
The mandatory induction for all 78 newly appointed ministers concluded yesterday. I take this opportunity to congratulate fellow ministers upon the successful completion of this noble capacity-building exercise. But most importantly, I am filled with optimism that Uganda has assembled not only a Cabinet of capable leaders, but one that is better prepared to serve our people with integrity, discipline and measurable results.
The mandatory induction for all 78 newly appointed ministers has been more than a ceremonial orientation. It has been an intensive leadership programme carefully designed to prepare the Cabinet for the enormous responsibility that comes with steering government programmes at a time when our country is entering a critical phase of implementation.
Held under the theme, Leading the Government with Integrity, Discipline and Results: Delivering Uganda to Upper Middle-Income Status, the induction has equipped ministers with the leadership capacity, policy orientation and practical understanding necessary to effectively execute the priorities of government.
For the newly appointed ministers in particular, the induction has provided invaluable insight into their constitutional responsibilities, Cabinet procedures, collective decision-making, public financial management, ethical leadership and the standards expected of those entrusted with public office. For returning ministers, it has served as an important opportunity to renew their commitment to excellence and sharpen their focus on delivering results.
Time to stay awake, work
The message throughout the induction has been clear and consistent: Uganda has entered a season of implementation. The plans have been made, priorities identified, and resources allocated. What remains is disciplined execution.
This is why the spirit captured in the call of No Sleeping, No Corruption resonates so strongly.
Held under the theme, Leading the Government with Integrity, Discipline and Results: Delivering Uganda to Upper Middle-Income Status, the induction has equipped ministers with the leadership capacity, policy orientation and practical understanding necessary to effectively execute the priorities of government.
For the newly appointed ministers in particular, the induction has provided invaluable insight into their constitutional responsibilities, Cabinet procedures, collective decision-making, public financial management, ethical leadership and the standards expected of those entrusted with public office. For returning ministers, it has served as an important opportunity to renew their commitment to excellence and sharpen their focus on delivering results.
Time to stay awake, work
The message throughout the induction has been clear and consistent: Uganda has entered a season of implementation. The plans have been made, priorities identified, and resources allocated. What remains is disciplined execution.
This is why the spirit captured in the call of No Sleeping, No Corruption resonates so strongly.
It is a reminder that every minister has a duty to work with urgency, remain accessible to the people, supervise programmes diligently and ensure that every shilling entrusted to government delivers value to citizens. Public office is not a privilege for personal enrichment; it is a solemn responsibility to serve the nation faithfully.
His Excellency the President, Gen. Yoweri Museveni, has, on many occasions, offered wise counsel to leaders. Among his most enduring messages is the warning against the temptation of pursuing quick wealth. The President has consistently reminded public officials that leadership founded on greed inevitably undermines public trust and national progress.
As ministers return to their respective dockets, I encourage each one of us to hold this counsel dearly. Wealth accumulated dishonestly is fleeting, but a legacy of faithful service endures for generations. Uganda needs leaders whose greatest ambition is not personal gain but national transformation. The President’s message aligns perfectly with our collective resolve to build a government characterised by discipline, integrity and accountability.
Assessment framework, a welcome move
During the induction, the Cabinet also reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the National Development Plan and the Government’s 2026–2031 development framework. As ably presented by the Vice-President Jessica Alupo, these frameworks provide the roadmap for accelerating Uganda’s transition to upper middle-income status while ensuring sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
Achieving these ambitious goals requires more than policy pronouncements. It demands co-ordinated implementation, regular monitoring, prudent resource management and collective responsibility across all ministries, departments and agencies.
Encouragingly, government has gone a step further by putting in place mechanisms that will ensure ministers remain focused on results.
The head of Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet, Lucy Nakyobe, revealed during the induction that government has developed a comprehensive set of performance guidelines that received the consent of all appointed ministers. These guidelines will serve as an objective performance assessment tool throughout their tenure in office.
This is a significant milestone in strengthening accountability within government. Performance will increasingly be measured against agreed deliverables, implementation timelines and service delivery outcomes rather than good intentions alone.
Such a framework should give Ugandans confidence that government is committed not only to setting ambitious targets, but also to measuring progress objectively and holding leaders accountable for the responsibilities entrusted to them.
For citizens, the message should be reassuring. Ugandans should expect a government that is more co-ordinated, more responsive and more focused on delivering tangible improvements in their daily lives. They should expect faster implementation of government programmes, greater accountability in the management of public resources and stronger oversight of public institutions. Whether in agriculture, education, healthcare, infrastructure, wealth creation, security or local government services, our collective objective remains the same — to ensure that government programmes translate into meaningful improvements in the lives of our people.
Committed to serve Ugandans
As Minister for the Presidency, I remain particularly encouraged because the Office of the President plays a central role in monitoring government performance and ensuring that public institutions remain focused on results. We shall continue to work closely with all ministries and agencies to ensure that implementation remains on course and that bottlenecks are addressed promptly.
The success of this Cabinet will not be determined by the number of meetings held or speeches delivered. It will be judged by whether Ugandans receive better services, whether public resources are protected from abuse, whether corruption is confronted decisively and whether our national development targets are achieved.
That is why the conclusion of this induction should not be seen as the end of a training programme, but as the beginning of a renewed national commitment to serve with greater purpose.
And as we return to our offices to begin the implementation of government programmes, I extend my deepest appreciation to President Museveni for personally guiding the induction exercise with his characteristic clarity, wisdom and unwavering commitment to transforming government performance.
I also sincerely thank the Vice-President, Alupo and the Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja, for their invaluable leadership and contributions throughout the exercise. Special appreciation goes to the head of Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet, Lucy Nakyobe Mbonye, together with her dedicated secretariat, for meticulously organising a successful, insightful and well-co-ordinated induction programme.
Finally, I commend the staff of the National Leadership Institute, led by Col Okei Rukogota, for making our stay at the institute productive and enjoyable. To all the participating ministers, I commend your commitment, discipline and active participation over the past nine days.
But as highlighted by the different facilitators, the true measure of this induction will not be in the knowledge acquired, but in how faithfully it is translated into action. I, therefore, urge all of us to put into practice the guidance shared by the President and the permanent secretaries who facilitated the various sessions. Let us embrace the spirit of this term (No Sleeping, No Corruption) and work with renewed urgency, integrity and accountability to deliver the services and results that the people of Uganda rightfully expect. With that, acceleration of our socioeconomic development agenda will be achieved sooner than anticipated.
The author is the Minister for the Presidency and Budhiope West MP
His Excellency the President, Gen. Yoweri Museveni, has, on many occasions, offered wise counsel to leaders. Among his most enduring messages is the warning against the temptation of pursuing quick wealth. The President has consistently reminded public officials that leadership founded on greed inevitably undermines public trust and national progress.
As ministers return to their respective dockets, I encourage each one of us to hold this counsel dearly. Wealth accumulated dishonestly is fleeting, but a legacy of faithful service endures for generations. Uganda needs leaders whose greatest ambition is not personal gain but national transformation. The President’s message aligns perfectly with our collective resolve to build a government characterised by discipline, integrity and accountability.
Assessment framework, a welcome move
During the induction, the Cabinet also reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the National Development Plan and the Government’s 2026–2031 development framework. As ably presented by the Vice-President Jessica Alupo, these frameworks provide the roadmap for accelerating Uganda’s transition to upper middle-income status while ensuring sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
Achieving these ambitious goals requires more than policy pronouncements. It demands co-ordinated implementation, regular monitoring, prudent resource management and collective responsibility across all ministries, departments and agencies.
Encouragingly, government has gone a step further by putting in place mechanisms that will ensure ministers remain focused on results.
The head of Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet, Lucy Nakyobe, revealed during the induction that government has developed a comprehensive set of performance guidelines that received the consent of all appointed ministers. These guidelines will serve as an objective performance assessment tool throughout their tenure in office.
This is a significant milestone in strengthening accountability within government. Performance will increasingly be measured against agreed deliverables, implementation timelines and service delivery outcomes rather than good intentions alone.
Such a framework should give Ugandans confidence that government is committed not only to setting ambitious targets, but also to measuring progress objectively and holding leaders accountable for the responsibilities entrusted to them.
For citizens, the message should be reassuring. Ugandans should expect a government that is more co-ordinated, more responsive and more focused on delivering tangible improvements in their daily lives. They should expect faster implementation of government programmes, greater accountability in the management of public resources and stronger oversight of public institutions. Whether in agriculture, education, healthcare, infrastructure, wealth creation, security or local government services, our collective objective remains the same — to ensure that government programmes translate into meaningful improvements in the lives of our people.
Committed to serve Ugandans
As Minister for the Presidency, I remain particularly encouraged because the Office of the President plays a central role in monitoring government performance and ensuring that public institutions remain focused on results. We shall continue to work closely with all ministries and agencies to ensure that implementation remains on course and that bottlenecks are addressed promptly.
The success of this Cabinet will not be determined by the number of meetings held or speeches delivered. It will be judged by whether Ugandans receive better services, whether public resources are protected from abuse, whether corruption is confronted decisively and whether our national development targets are achieved.
That is why the conclusion of this induction should not be seen as the end of a training programme, but as the beginning of a renewed national commitment to serve with greater purpose.
And as we return to our offices to begin the implementation of government programmes, I extend my deepest appreciation to President Museveni for personally guiding the induction exercise with his characteristic clarity, wisdom and unwavering commitment to transforming government performance.
I also sincerely thank the Vice-President, Alupo and the Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja, for their invaluable leadership and contributions throughout the exercise. Special appreciation goes to the head of Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet, Lucy Nakyobe Mbonye, together with her dedicated secretariat, for meticulously organising a successful, insightful and well-co-ordinated induction programme.
Finally, I commend the staff of the National Leadership Institute, led by Col Okei Rukogota, for making our stay at the institute productive and enjoyable. To all the participating ministers, I commend your commitment, discipline and active participation over the past nine days.
But as highlighted by the different facilitators, the true measure of this induction will not be in the knowledge acquired, but in how faithfully it is translated into action. I, therefore, urge all of us to put into practice the guidance shared by the President and the permanent secretaries who facilitated the various sessions. Let us embrace the spirit of this term (No Sleeping, No Corruption) and work with renewed urgency, integrity and accountability to deliver the services and results that the people of Uganda rightfully expect. With that, acceleration of our socioeconomic development agenda will be achieved sooner than anticipated.
The author is the Minister for the Presidency and Budhiope West MP