Kampala, (UG):- The Minister for Presidency, Hon Babirye Milly Babalanda has been summoned by Parliament as public concern raises over the credibility of the appointees for the assistant RDC/RCC jobs, among which include Yiga Kisakyamukama, a famous tiktoker who undressed before the Kabaka.
Kisakyamukama, famously known for spreading toxic abuses and hurling insults at traditional leaders came into the limelight when he undressed himself before the Kabaka of Buganda and the entire Kingdom using disgusting statements (that we are unable to use in this article) in a video which went viral then.
Now following his appointment as Assistant RDC for Gomba District, Ugandans and citizens at large have resorted to social media wondering and fuming at What Babalanda thought when she endorsed such a person to serve in a public office without doing background checks on their integrity and morals in society.
Kisakyamukama’s appointment has also attracted parliament attention, with the Speaker of the August House, Rt Hon Anita Among directing the minister to present a report to the house on Wednesday (tomorrow) regarding the procedure followed by her docket ministry and the qualifications of those appointed as Assistant RDCs and RCCs.
“I have requested a report from the Minister for the Presidency regarding the recent appointments of RDC, RCCs and their deputies. This request is in response to public concerns about the eligibility of some of the appointees. The report is expected to be presented tomorrow,” Speaker Among posted via her official X account shortly after Tuesday’s morning plenary.
The Speaker also urged the Minister for presidency Babalanda to halt appointing and deploying RCCs and RDCs in the areas of their residence saying that they use it as an opportunity to compete with the sitting area MPs.
Hon Among also advised Minister Babalanda to be mindful of Article 203 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda which states that for anyone to be appointed an RDC or RCC shall be a citizen of Uganda and qualifies to be a member of parliament
Adding to the Speaker’s voice, the Leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi questioned the circumstances under which government which is crying of no money and is even phasing out some agencies is doing more recruitment of people well known to be NRM political agents.
“Section 70 of the Local government Act provides for the caliber of people that must be appointed as RDC……the section provides that these are supposed to be people of high moral integrity, people whose conduct is not questionable,” Mr Ssenyonyi said.
He added; “We can’t have people occupying public offices, earning from the consolidated fund [but] undress in public, hurl insults at the people and traditional leaders like this Yiga [Kisakyamukama] person, this is unacceptable.”
The Speaker of Parliament, Ms Anita Among seconded the LoP’s argument saying that it is wrong to appoint such people as Assistant RDCs.
“The LoP is raising a very important point, but I want to ask the government Chief Wwhip to invite the minister involved and we have a paper to that effect [showing] if approved [their] money and the appointment criteria,” Ms Among said.
“We cannot pick somebody just from nowhere to claim to be an RDC when a person has a bad track record. These people must do due diligence on that..for me it is not about the education but the character of people, “she added.
Mr Ssenyonyi also faulted government for creating other expenditure avenues amidst the ongoing rationalization of government entities to cut on public expenditures.
“Government has been pushing us on rationalization, saying we need to rationalize entities so that we can cut down on government expenditure but while we are rationalizing, here comes another huge government expenditure of over 300 Assistant Resident District Commissioners who were appointed to each district and cities,” he said.
“What roles are the Assistant RDCs going to play that the RDCs and Deputy RDCs are not playing? The minister for Presidency said they are going to promote patriotism, carry out mobilization and fight corruption. We need to be helped to understand whether now Assistant RDCs are taking over the work of the Inspectorate of Government and mobilization for what exactly?, is it mobilization for the NRM or for Parliament” he added.
However, the state minister for trade, industry and cooperatives, Mr David Bahati revealed that the money for Assistant RDCs was approved in the financial year.
“I remember in this [2023/24] budget we approved money for Assistant RDCs and the minister has taken action, but then we come back [and discuss] as if we were not involved in approving these items,” he said.
Mr Hamson Obua, the government chief whip, confirmed to Parliament that the minister of the Presidency will tomorrow address the House on the matter.
DailyExpress understands that majority of the candidates selected for the newly created position inside the RDC/RCC office are NRM cadres who now take on the role of intensifying the party mobilization at the grassroot level.
Even the man under the limelight, Kisakyamukama, has already confirmed receiving his appointment letter and through his social media pages, he thanked the president for finally remembering him to make him an Assistant RDC.
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