40 RDCs to undergo entrepreneurship, livelihood training in India

Kampala, Uganda: A group of 40 Resident District and City Commissioners (RDCs), along with their deputies and assistants, have departed for India for a two-week training program in entrepreneurship and livelihood generation at the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) in Noida.

The program is aimed at equipping Uganda’s RDCs with skills to drive socio-economic transformation in their respective districts.

At the flag-off ceremony, India’s High Commissioner to Uganda, H.E. Upender Singh Rawat, highlighted that the training is part of India’s 68-year-old initiative to build capacity in developing nations, strengthening bilateral ties, and fostering leadership skills.

“This program is designed to enhance skills and create change agents who will drive development at the grassroots level,” Rawat said.

Uganda’s Secretary of the Office of the President, Hajji Yunus Kakande, thanked the Indian government for the partnership, noting that this is the second batch of RDCs to benefit, following an earlier group of 20 participants.

Kakande highlighted that the training draws lessons from India’s development programs, which could complement Uganda’s Parish Development Model (PDM).

Maj. Martha Assimwe, head of the RDC Secretariat and a pioneer alumnus of the program, reminded participants to maintain discipline and professionalism, warning that absenteeism or misconduct could result in discontinuation and financial losses for Uganda.

“Dear footsoldiers, maintain a high level of discipline and professionalism since it reflects our organization, the Office of the President,” she said.

Sr. Grace Akiror, Deputy Head of the RDC Secretariat, urged the RDCs to support one another during the training, emphasizing that the program is expected to equip them with practical skills to better serve the communities they lead.