Tension is brewing between Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja Musafiri and the Minister for Presidency Milly Babirye Babalanda with the premier saying the minister is usurping the responsibilities of the President in effecting transfers of Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), Resident City Commissioners (RCCs) and their deputies.
The heat of the controversy seems to have hit a climax with the recent transfer of former Nakasongola RDC Saleh Kamba, a former MP for Kibuku County, and Rtd Maj. David Matovu from Kakumiro, Prime Minister Nabbanja’s home district, to Buikwe.
Consequently, Nabbanja wrote a letter dated 20th January 2025 to Babalanda informing her that she personally has no mandate to transfer RDCs, RCCs and their deputies.
She said Babalanda has been transferring RDCs and RCCs irregularly, arguing that the mandate to do so lies with President Yoweri Museveni.
The premier’s letter copied to the President and all ministers said she has received several concerns over transfer of RCCs and RDCs from the public and the commissioners.
“I find this irregular because the mandate to appoint, transfer RDCs and RCCs lies with the President as stipulated under Article 99 and 203 of the Constitution,” Nabbanja said.
Sad! Three Children Drown in the Lake While Playing with Balloon
Nabbanja was concerned that Minister Babalanda had effected transfers of the RDCs without prior delegation from the President.
Our sources said the standoff resulted from Babalanda’s transfer of one of the RDCs from Bunyoro region, which did not go down well with the Prime Minister.
A prominent human rights activist Abdul Komakech while reacting to Nabbanja’s letter to Babalanda, criticized the premier saying her argument was flawed since previous presidency ministers have been executing such transfers under delegated authority.
Efforts to get a comment from Babalanda were futile but the Secretary to the Office of the President, Haji Yunus Kakande, explained that whereas the Constitution gives the President powers to appoint RDCs and RCCs, the presidency minister has powers to discipline errant ones.
UCE 2024: 1,629 Learners Fail Repeat Exams in Old Curriculum
Haji Kakande explained that when it comes to the commissioners in cities and districts, the special operational guidance stipulates that this role is done by the minister for the presidency since the President cannot follow the discipline of commissioners. Instead, he argued, it is the minister and himself (Haji Kakande) to ensure discipline and subsequently inform him [President] about it.
He explained that this was an administrative matter over which the Prime Minister should have summoned the presidency minister to discuss the matter instead of writing the letter.
“If the minister for the presidency gets an issue about RDCs or RCCs, she will handle it administratively. The Prime Minister should leave the minister for the presidency to do her work” Haji Kakande explained.
UNEB: 98% of Candidates Qualify to Get UCE Certificates From New Curriculum
Kakande further stated that that Nabbanja’s letter followed the transfer of an RDC who approached the Office of the Presidency indicating that he had faced some personal challenges while serving in a particular district;
“We listened to the RDC and transferred him to another district and even approached the Prime Minister to inquire whether she had an interest in nominating a suitable replacement which she rejected,” the Secretary to the Office of the President said.
Continuing to defend his boss, Kakande, said government services have not been affected by the transfer since the deputy RDC in that district had been instructed to serve in an acting capacity. He also clarified about some retired RDCs who claim that they must be given gratuity, saying the district/city commissioners are political appointees who serve without contracts and, therefore, do not qualify for gratuity like civil servants.
