New cabinet must rise to the occasion

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OPINION

By Milly Babalanda

At the end of last month, our dear President, Yoweri Museveni, named his new cabinet and, by the grace of God, retained me as Minister for the Presidency.

In this regard, I wish to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the President for once again entrusting me with the responsibility of serving him and my country.

This renewed confidence in me and several of my other colleagues who were retained in the cabinet is both humbling and motivating. It is a reminder that hard work, dedication, loyalty and commitment to national service do not go unnoticed. I receive this appointment not as a personal achievement, but as a call to greater responsibility in advancing the President’s vision and the aspirations of the people of Uganda.

I also take this opportunity to thank the Vice-President, Prime Minister, fellow Cabinet colleagues and the leadership of the National Resistance Movement Secretariat for the guidance, mentorship, and co-operation they extended to my colleague ministers and me during the previous term. Their collective wisdom and support have greatly contributed to our achievements and strengthened our capacity to serve the country effectively.

A rallying call to dedicated service

Last week, Parliament began the process of vetting the new ministers, essentially kicking off their new term of office. And as the new Cabinet settles into office, I wish to rally all newly appointed ministers to fully align themselves with the President’s vision for this term. As the President guided during his swearing-in at Kololo, our focus must remain firmly on wealth creation, household income improvement, job creation, industrialisation and transformation of our economy.

We must be development-oriented in both thought and action.

The President has consistently emphasised the importance of economic transformation through strategic investments in infrastructure and productive sectors. Today, Uganda is better positioned than ever before to accelerate economic growth. The government has invested heavily in expanding electricity generation and transmission, constructed modern road networks, strengthened ICT infrastructure, improved peace and security, and deepened regional integration through the East African Community and other regional frameworks that provide access to wider markets.

These investments were not made for their own sake. They were intended to create an enabling environment for production, trade, industrialisation, and wealth creation. It is now our responsibility as leaders to ensure that these foundations translate into tangible improvements in the lives of our people.

The task before us is, therefore, clear. We must collectively work towards accelerating Uganda’s journey towards the $500b economy as envisioned under Vision 2040 and the National Development Plan IV. This ambition is achievable if all sectors of government work in harmony and if every minister drives implementation with urgency, discipline and measurable results.

The President’s message for this term has been clear: Hakuna Kulala (No Sleeping), Mliza Ufi sadi (No corruption). This is not merely a slogan; it is a call to action. It means that every minister, every accounting officer, every public servant and every leader must remain focused on delivering results for the wananchi.

Equally important is accountability. The people of Uganda have entrusted us with leadership, and we owe them transparency, integrity and performance. There should be no room for corruption, abuse of office, complacency, or negligence. Public resources must be utilised efficiently and strictly for the intended purposes. Every leader must appreciate that public office is a trust bestowed by the people and must, therefore, be exercised with utmost responsibility.

I, therefore, call on all ministers, whether newly appointed or retained, to fully dedicate themselves to their respective dockets. Let us foster teamwork across ministries, departments and agencies. Let us avoid unnecessary competition and, instead, embrace collective responsibility. Government succeeds when institutions work together towards a common goal.

Citizens must also arise

As leaders, however, we cannot transform Uganda alone. The wananchi must also play their part. The President has repeatedly encouraged Ugandans to embrace productive work, innovation, entrepreneurship, and commercial agriculture. We must move away from attitudes that glorify idleness and dependency.

Our young people in particular must focus their energies on wealth creation opportunities available in agriculture, manufacturing, services, ICT, tourism and the creative economy. While sports and entertainment have their place in society, we must guard against spending excessive time arguing over foreign football clubs and leagues at the expense of pursuing productive economic activities. National transformation requires hard work, discipline and a culture of productivity.

The opportunities before us are immense. Uganda’s future is bright. Our economy continues to demonstrate resilience. Our population is youthful and energetic. Our natural resources are abundant, and most importantly, our oil will flow this term. Our strategic location within East Africa provides access to expanding regional markets. Most importantly, we have a clear vision and tested leadership guiding our development agenda.

Let this new term, therefore, be remembered as a period of accelerated implementation, disciplined leadership and tangible results. Let it be a term where every minister justifies the confidence entrusted in them. Let it be a term where corruption finds no refuge. Let it be a term where the government and citizens work together to build prosperity for all. The foundation has been laid.

The vision is clear. The time for delivery is now.

The author is the Minister for the Presidency and Budhiope West MP