By Steven Masiga
Governance and execution of public policies is not about being fashionable in dressing but rather about carefully addressing the needs of Mwananchi and the ability to interact with the populace with compassion.
Government policies, however abrupt they may be, may need committed cadres who are willing to put their foot on the ground with reasonable exigence or speed, and Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja is seen by thousands of party supporters in Bugisu and beyond as the right woman for the task.
Many expert spectators on governance say Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja is well immersed in statecraft, a natural mobilizer, and with vast networks across the country to mobilize for the party, unlike previous Oxford-trained and Kampala-based politicians.
Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja, besides being our Prime Minister, is also a mother and compassionate person, reminisces Hon. Irene Manghali Khainza, Inzu Ya Masaba envoy for mobilization and former RDC Manafwa.
Miss Irene Manghali is a bosom friend of the current Prime Minister and, at some point, served together as Resident District Commissioners in various districts where Robinah Nabanja was also RDC.
The Prime Minister of Uganda was in Bugisu a few days back, firstly coming to commiserate with those who had lost their loved ones during the infamous landslides in Bulambuli and secondly to mourn those Bamasaba who had perished in the landslides as well. The tears in her eyes as she visited Bulambuli encapsulated everything—Hon. Robinah was grieving for fellow Ugandans displaced and ravaged by the landslides.
Thirdly, she also came to deliver much-needed government aid and condolences to the bereaved families. Nabbanja may not be the first PM to cry; many Prime Ministers have cried their tears out, the likes of Theresa May of the United Kingdom (UK) and PM Modi of India, but many of these were crying due to political pressure and other office-related challenges, not grieving for anybody dead.
But for Robinah Nabbanja, hers were tears of sorrow—tears for the dead children killed by the landslides, kids of one year, mothers killed, and families shattered. Hers were tears of emotion and bereavement.
When Inzu Ya Masaba officials visited the camps recently, one young girl of roughly 7 years asked me in Lumasaaba, “When is Mayi Robinah coming back again?” Another elderly woman told me that, for the last 90 years she has lived, she has never seen a Prime Minister as compassionate as Robinah—a full PM, heavily guarded with military guards, but with tears rolling down her cheeks uncontrollably. She was indeed overcome by emotion.
The sight of the Ugandan Prime Minister clinging manually to the pavilion of a bajaji as the rider raced through the debris and all sorts of mud deposited by the landslides, making the road rougher and more impassable than hitherto, up to the landslide scene, was seen doing rounds on several media platforms, including mainstream news.
Gone are the days when the likes of Prof. Lugubrious were the Prime Ministers of Uganda. Nobody could imagine the likes of Nsibambi or Hon. Mbabazi getting onto a motorcycle, snaking up into the undulating hills of Bulambuli to the landslide scene, but the fisherwoman, as she is popularly described by Ugandans, was more than determined to deliver government support directly to those it was meant for, over 300 kilometers away from Kampala City.
Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabanja is a firm believer in the Latin doctrine of delegatus non potest delegare (that a delegate can’t delegate further to another person), not that she has nobody to delegate to, but because she feels she needs to execute her tasks as guided by the President—meeting the people displaced by the landslides, making assessments, and reporting to the President or Cabinet on how to act and respond.
Mrs. Irene Manghali, the former RDC Manafwa, says the Ugandan Prime Minister is still young and able for the tasks allocated to her by her bosses. Mrs Irene Manghali goes on further to observe that her deployment as PM has brought millions of women closer to the government.
The Bamasaba cultural leader, His Highness Jude Mike Mudoma, says the Bamasaba are full of praises for Rt. Hon. Robinah firstly, for supporting many of their activities, including the 20 million UGX she gave to support the Imbalu launch this year, and now for her determined efforts in ensuring that their people in Bulambuli are well resettled and provided with emergency relief.
The Bulambuli landslides have displaced over 2,000 residents, according to camp statistics, and the Office of the Prime Minister has already provided posho, beans, and other necessities, much as extra efforts are being worked on to manage the situation further, according to Brig. Gen. Akiki of the OPM attached to the camp.
The Umukuka III of the Bamasaba, His Highness Jude Mike Mudoma, further says that as a cultural institution, they are going to work closely with the government to ensure that the sacred cultural sites destroyed by the landslides are restored, including planting certain species of trees in the cultural trails used for Imbalu.
“We shall also sensitize our people on mindset change. The cultural institution is working closely with Rt. Hon. Prime Minister Robinah on this,” he said.
Steven Masiga is the spokesperson of the Bamasaba cultural institution and a legal writer.
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