Govt spends sh3.35b annually for RDCs’ office rent — report

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The Government spends sh3.35b annually on renting offices for 107 Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) who lack their own premises.

This is contained in the report of the parliamentary committee on presidential affairs on the ministerial policy statement and budget estimates for the financial year 2025/2026.

The report, which is now before the Office of the Clerk to Parliament, says the committee established that rental fees have been increasing over the years and are therefore becoming unsustainable.

“The committee observes that the sh3.35b spent annually on rent is able to construct five offices. The current rental payments are not sustainable, thus there is need for government to construct at least five offices per year in order to provide a lasting solution,” it said.

The committee was informed that the Office of the President deployed RDCs in 146 administrative units, but 107 are accommodated in rented premises, 24 are housed by district local governments, while 15 are accommodated in offices constructed by the Office of the President.

The Office of the President has constructed RDC offices in the districts of Lamwo, Abim, Amuru, Kiryandongo, Kamuli, Buhweju, Bundibugyo, Lwengo, Rubirizi, Butaleja, Adjumani, Butambala, Otuke, Luuka and Nakapiripirit at a unit cost of sh0.70b, with one office constructed in each financial year since the 2012/13 financial year.

“Therefore, 131 districts do not have offices constructed by the government for RDCs,” the committee, which is chaired by Isingiro South MP Alex Byarugaba, said.

It also noted that the Office of the President requires sh3.50b to construct five RDC offices, but only sh0.70b is the indicative allocation for the construction of one office in the financial year 2025/26, resulting in a funding gap of sh2.80b.

The committee also observed that, with only a sh0.70b allocation to construct one RDC office in each financial year, it will take the Government of Uganda more than 100 financial years to address the challenge of office accommodation for RDCs.

It recommended that an additional sh2.80b be availed annually to enable the Office of the President to construct five offices each financial year to mitigate the challenge of office accommodation for RDCs in the medium term.