By Ben Ssebuguzi
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has consistently championed a pro-people approach to service delivery, calling on government institutions to adopt citizen-centred systems that prioritise responsiveness, accountability and efficiency.
It is therefore commendable that the Inspectorate of Government and the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development have adopted client charters in their strategic plans to enhance performance and improve public service delivery.
For years, many of us involved in monitoring service delivery have agitated for comprehensive and tangible work plans that place citizens at the centre of government operations. While a few entities such as the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) have demonstrated responsiveness, many government institutions still lack structured systems that listen, receive and respond promptly to public concerns.
The former Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) had gone an extra mile by establishing a special desk to address grievances of project-affected persons. It remains unclear whether this initiative was fully adopted under the Ministry of Works and Transport.
It is increasingly concerning that some government agencies and departments fail to acknowledge or respond to official correspondence. In today’s modern administrative environment, such practices are outdated and undermine public trust.
President Museveni has repeatedly expressed disdain for the “I don’t care” attitude sometimes exhibited by bureaucratic leaders. Instead, he advocates for a service-oriented mindset grounded in empathy, efficiency and accountability.
At the Office of the National Chairman (ONC), managed by Hadijah Uzeiye Namyalo, we are mandated to oversee the implementation of NRM policies. We cannot remain silent when citizens seeking redress are treated as second-class participants in governance, yet they are the very taxpayers who sustain the public service.
Some public officials risk appearing detached and unapproachable, forgetting that their authority is derived from the people.
In order to enhance customer service in government, institutions should draw lessons from the private sector, where responsiveness, feedback mechanisms and client satisfaction are central to operations.
I therefore appeal to the Manifesto Implementation Unit to incorporate customer care metrics into service delivery assessments across government entities.
Long live General Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. Long live Hajjat Uzeiye Namyalo.
The writer is the Head of Research, Office of the National Chairman (NRM).
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