Kakande Challenges RDCs to Enforce Discipline, Monitor Government Projects and Drive Development

The Secretary to the Office of the President, Hajji Yunus Kakande, has cautioned Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), Resident City Commissioners (RCCs), their deputies and other government field officers against indiscipline, urging them to uphold professionalism, respect institutional hierarchy and remain committed to effective public service.

Hajji Kakande made the remarks on Monday, August 17, 2026, while officiating at the opening of a three-day capacity-building workshop for RDCs, RCCs, Deputy RDCs/RCCs, Assistant RDCs/RCCs, Regional Internal Security Officers (RISOs) and District Internal Security Officers (DISOs) from the Busoga Sub-region.

The workshop is being held at the Source of the Nile Hotel in Jinja City and is aimed at strengthening the capacity of government representatives to effectively monitor government programmes, promote accountability and contribute to socio-economic transformation.

Kakande demands discipline and respect for hierarchy

Hajji Kakande said indiscipline has no place in the Presidency and warned government officials against conduct that undermines authority, teamwork and effective administration.

“Indiscipline will not be accepted in the Presidency. The indiscipline I have seen these days, we shall not allow it. You should respect your elders. Why should you create anarchy?” he said.

He urged RDCs, RCCs and other field officers to maintain punctuality, discipline and respect for institutional hierarchy, saying effective management of government institutions depends on officials working together and respecting one another.

“We must respect our seniors. People no longer respect ministers,” Kakande said.

Drawing from his long experience in public service, he said officers who disregard their leaders and colleagues often struggle to build sustainable careers in government.

“I have worked in the government for so many years. If you must succeed as individuals, you must respect others. People who have shown no respect for their leaders or colleagues have not survived long,” he said.

Kakande described discipline as a foundation for both career development and effective service delivery.

“I am speaking as a parent: please be disciplined. You don’t lose anything when you have discipline,” he added.

RDCs challenged to strengthen project monitoring

Beyond discipline, Kakande challenged RDCs and other government representatives to become more active in monitoring the implementation of government projects and programmes in their respective areas.

He said government field officers should not view their positions as merely office-based appointments, but should instead identify challenges affecting service delivery and work towards finding timely and accurate solutions.

“You are not in these positions merely to occupy office. Identify challenges and provide accurate and timely solutions,” he said.

He urged RDCs to inspect government projects and establish whether contractors are implementing them in accordance with approved specifications, standards and timelines.

“Establish whether the project is being implemented well. Check the specifications and standards. Is the contractor performing as required?” he asked.

According to Kakande, RDCs should also ensure that project validation exercises are genuine and that completed works meet the required quality standards before they are commissioned.

He encouraged the officers to mobilise relevant stakeholders and take appropriate action whenever they identify weaknesses, delays or other challenges affecting government projects.

Citing the construction of seed schools, Kakande said some projects have stalled because contractors without adequate capacity were awarded contracts.

He reminded RDCs that they have powers delegated by the President to oversee government projects and ensure that public investments deliver the intended results.

“The President gave you powers to oversee government projects, including ensuring that projects meet the required standards before they are opened or commissioned,” he said.

Government programmes must reach intended beneficiaries

Kakande also tasked RDCs, RCCs and security officers with ensuring that government poverty-reduction programmes reach the people for whom they are intended.

He singled out the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga as important government interventions designed to increase household incomes, create economic opportunities and support citizens to participate in productive economic activities.

“Your responsibility is to make sure that the intended beneficiaries and targets are reached,” he said.

He urged the officers to protect government programmes against corruption, misuse of resources and other forms of abuse.

He advised RDCs to work closely with DISOs to establish how funds allocated to government programmes are being utilised and whether beneficiaries are receiving the support intended for them.

Kakande said government representatives should not wait for senior officials to identify problems that could be addressed through routine monitoring at the district and sub-regional levels.

Call for young people to embrace productive work

Kakande also called for a shift away from excessive political activity among young people, arguing that the current priority should be productive work, skills development and wealth creation.

“There is no money for nothing. Young people should desist from politicking. Right now, politics should stop and people should work. They will go back to politics in 2031,” he said.

He encouraged leaders to use government programmes and other available opportunities to help young people acquire skills, establish businesses and participate in productive economic activities.

He argued that sustainable prosperity cannot be built through political handouts, but through entrepreneurship, investment, employment and productive use of available resources.

Kakande urges Busoga to embrace high-value agriculture

Turning to the economic potential of Busoga, Kakande challenged leaders and residents to make greater use of the region's agricultural resources.

He particularly encouraged farmers to embrace high-value crops such as coffee, noting that President Yoweri Museveni has repeatedly set an ambitious national target of producing 20 million bags of coffee annually by 2030.

Kakande said sugarcane remains important to the economy of Busoga but argued that farmers should consider diversifying into agricultural enterprises capable of generating higher returns.

“Why don’t you go to coffee for high returns? Coffee farmers in areas like Masaka are prospering. If people with land embrace coffee growing, this country will get richer,” he said.

He cited Brazil as an example of a country that has used agriculture as one of the major drivers of economic development.

Kakande also recalled the migration of Bakiga from Kabale to other parts of Uganda in search of land and economic opportunities, saying their experience demonstrates the potential of productive economic activity to transform communities.

“In the 1990s, I’m the one who took the Bakiga to Kakumiro where they created opportunities,” he said.

Call to revive Busoga's economic fortunes

Kakande said Busoga has enormous economic potential and recalled that the region was historically among Uganda's most developed areas.

“In the 1960s, Busoga was next to Buganda in terms of development, but now it is a different story,” he said.

He attributed part of the region's earlier economic strength to agricultural production, particularly coffee and groundnuts, and called for a change in mindset to restore productive enterprise.

He urged government leaders to work closely with communities to unlock the region's agricultural, human and industrial potential.

“As leaders, you should be champions for this transformation. Skills, natural resources and industrial resources must be used to create jobs,” Kakande said.

Peace and security remain central

Kakande stressed that socio-economic transformation cannot take place in an environment characterised by insecurity, instability or irresponsible leadership.

He urged RDCs, RCCs and security officers to remain vigilant and ensure that security structures work together to identify and address emerging threats.

“You have to be on the lookout all the time,” he said.

He noted that Uganda had just emerged from an intense political and electoral period and called on government representatives to consolidate peace and shift attention towards development.

“We have just come through a period of intense politics and elections. We should now ensure that we maintain peace and security and socio-economic transformation,” he said.

Kakande also commended RDCs and other government representatives for their role during the recent electoral period.

“I thank you for making sure that the government comes back to power. You did a good job,” he said.

He further urged leaders to work together to address idleness and drug abuse among young people while creating opportunities for them to study, acquire skills and participate constructively in society.

Focus on results-based planning and accountability

The Assistant Commissioner, Finance and Planning at the Office of the President, Hajji Sadat Kisuyi, also addressed participants during the workshop, taking them through a session on results-based planning and reporting.

Kisuyi said government allocates substantial resources every year to ensure that goods and services are delivered to citizens, making transparency, monitoring and accountability critical responsibilities for field officers.

“Why that level of transparency? It is to ensure that you are able to monitor whether the resources are well utilised in your respective areas,” he said.

He challenged RDCs and other government representatives to take responsibility for monitoring government programmes within their jurisdictions rather than waiting for senior officials to intervene.

“You should do your part. You shouldn’t wait for Hon. Balaam to come unless you are not in charge,” Kisuyi said.

He explained that government spending should ultimately translate into measurable improvements in citizens' lives, including poverty reduction, sustainable economic growth and improved quality of life.

“They should be able to improve the well-being of the people, reduce poverty, promote sustainable economic growth and improve quality of life. These results shall ultimately lead to a long-term development impact,” he said.

Kisuyi emphasised that effective planning and performance management should follow the entire results chain, linking government resources and activities to tangible and sustainable improvements in communities.

Workshop seeks to strengthen field administration

The three-day capacity-building workshop therefore places emphasis on strengthening the ability of RDCs, RCCs and security officers to effectively execute their mandates, monitor public programmes, safeguard government resources and support peace and socio-economic transformation.

The messages delivered by the Office of the President officials placed particular emphasis on discipline, accountability, project monitoring, effective planning, protection of government programmes and the mobilisation of communities towards productive economic activity.

For Busoga, Kakande's call for greater investment in agriculture and the utilisation of the region's natural and human resources comes amid efforts to revive the sub-region's economic fortunes and create more opportunities for its population.

The workshop is expected to equip government field officers with practical knowledge and skills to improve coordination, monitoring and reporting, while strengthening their role as representatives of government at the local level.