How ignoring presidential directives has hindered service delivery
Kirunda says he has seen President Museveni almost shed a tear, pondering the future of Uganda and the apparent blindness of those who would make transformation faster and more seamless if they bothered to lift their thinking higher. Uganda’s great assurance of peace, democracy and stability of forty years has delivered outstanding benefits, yet on the other side, fallen short of expectations in many respects.
Al-Haji Faruk Kirunda
By Al-Haji Faruk Kirunda
I have worked at State House for seventeen years now, working close to and with President Yoweri Museveni. Before that, I was a young, self-driven media personality who admired Museveni, the liberator, and his associates like Ndugu Ruhakana Rugunda.
I can testify that the depth and breadth of mind of these icons of modern African governance is incomparable. Their hearts are so big as to accommodate every worry of the people they lead.
For President Museveni, I have seen him almost shed a tear pondering the future of Uganda and the apparent blindness of those who would make transformation faster and more seamless if they bothered to lift their thinking higher.
Uganda’s great assurance of peace, democracy and stability of forty years has delivered outstanding benefits, yet on the other side, fallen short of expectations in many respects.
A particular area of focus is service delivery. Progress in every sector could have been more remarkable if those of us working with Museveni had endeavoured to level up to his rationality and pace.
On the contrary, many (not all) insiders are shortsighted, ill-willed, undisciplined and selfish. Other than the usual outcry over corruption, the public needs to know about a malaise that is largely unsaid; that is the practice of ignoring, undermining or failing to implement the directives and guidance of the President.
He usually does so in writing (speeches) or verbally, even on his social media platforms. These directives are usually very well distilled and focused, and implementing them would make a lot of difference. That’s why he won the Luweero war and has maintained discipline in the UPDF. Soldiers take his orders and act on them accordingly.
But a breed of post-liberation technocrats and political-public officials don’t care for excellence as long as they earn their pay cheque at the end of the month.
If an audit were carried out on the directives that have been issued in the area of service delivery to the public and how many have been followed up and implemented, the nation would be shocked.
Real faces of obstinacy, betrayal and stagnation would be seen. These have captured facets of government for their narrow ambitions. Presidential executive authority has been “treasonously” challenged on numerous occasions without anyone being held accountable. Yet I know that President Museveni would never issue a directive that not in conformity with the law.
But when you look at the fast-emerging Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) and how its members respond to their leader, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, every “order” he gives (on X) is acknowledged and acted on with urgency.
If it’s to organise an activity, they respond straightaway; if it’s taking action, it’s swift. Even US President Donald Trump uses social media (mainly his platform, Truth Social) to issue directives on many things, and they are immediately acted on, and the public sees his commitment and command in action.
With the ongoing anti-corruption swoop by Local Government minister, Balaam Barugahara, one of the PLU top leaders, in the districts and cities, you see that the public is responding with confidence and trust while the thieving officials are in panic, because they know that what you see is what you get.
In the places so far combed, large crowds are turning up, and they are not demanding for lunch or transport refunds, as is the norm in mainstream political groups. PLU is attracting voluntary support and cooperation everywhere.
This is the spirit that President Museveni has been encouraging Ugandans to adopt in the style of NRA. Now PLU is “popularising” it. Young people who are most affected by poor service delivery, corruption and unemployment are the majority in these gatherings.
Now, they feel accommodated and see change happening in how government responds to their cries. Previously, government would be forced to use security agencies to contain them; now they are contained through civic engagement and awareness.
It has been established that when some of these decentralised units were created, some big shots hailing from them turned themselves into demigods, effectively capturing their operations while building their own power bases where they control everything for their benefit, and cause confusion in communication between the top and the grassroots.
And the locals fear them. These are the same ones resisting the exposition on corruption because they see their bases and fraud networks destroyed.
Then there are pseudo-NRM cadres who believe that exhibiting hollow loyalty to the party shields them from responsibility and delivering on contract and service terms. Their forty days are over!
As for those that always wish to see Museveni leave the stage, the trick is very simple; implement or push the implementation of his policy ideas so that Uganda reaches where he envisioned it to be by now.
Undermining implementation of the NRM manifesto, actively working with subversive groups to undermine Uganda’s peace and security, engaging in corruption and decamping wealth-creation initiatives like the Parish Development Model (PDM) only works to delay the very transition they hanker for.
PLU’s fast response through patriotic dynamism and voluntarism is setting the pace as a catalyst for effective governance and Uganda’s faster transformation in the original NRA style. The evil spirit of defiance, stagnation and abuse of executive authority is being exorcised!
The author is the Special Presidential Assistant-Press & Mobilisation/Deputy Press Secretary-State House
Email: faruk.kirunda@statehouse.go.ug