By: Ismael Kasooha

KYANKWANZI

The Secretary General of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party Rt. Hon. Richard Todwong has tasked district leaders to desist from conflicts because they affect service delivery to the citizenry.

Richard Todwong talking to the press at NALI after delivering his lecture to the local leaders undergoing a transformational leadership training in Kyankwanzi District

Rt. Hon. Richard Todwong was this afternoon addressing over 1,000 local leaders undergoing a two-week leadership transformation training from 10 districts at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi District and Oliver Reginald Tambo School of Leadership and Pan African center of excellence Kaweweta in Nakaseke District.

“Many districts in the country are embroiled in conflicts in one way or the other. The Chief Administrative Officer does not see eye-to-eye with the LC V Chairperson or the RDC and you expect such a district to deliver services to the people,” asked Todwong.  “You find some district leaders disagreeing on minor issues but causing a lot of trouble and friction in the entire district,” he added.

Richard Todwong (right) talking to the LC V Chairperson Masaka District Mr. Batemyetto Lukyamuzi Andrew at NALI after his presentation during the transformational leadership training

He gave an example where one district had a long standing conflict between the LC V Chairperson and the RDC but when diagnosed well it was discovered they disagreed on a woman.

He implored local leaders to be pro-active and resolve such conflicts before blaming the Central Government.

Todwong said that the NRM government has become a victim of its own success especially in the world of employment.  “Due to the liberalization of the education sector many schools and higher institutions of learning are producing many graduates every year but unfortunately they are all job seekers for white color jobs. Such a trend requires a paradigm shift which the NRM government is now undertaking,” said Todwong.

Todwong said that leaders must continuously be dynamic to address the unending society needs.

“When you attend such training you are exposed to new knowledge and open up your mind and thinking to address challenges at hand. Therefore, I want to thank the Prime Minister of Uganda for initiating such training for the leaders to become ideologically upright,” said Todwong.

He said that when the NRM came to power in 1986, Uganda’s population was merely 14 million people but so far the country has over 45.9m people because of interventions made by the government which have led to higher life expectancy and reduced maternal and child deaths.

Responding to gaps in the lining up format for elections during the NRM primaries, Todwong said that they have decided that vote counting will be done in one hour throughout the whole country to prevent some unscrupulous people who rotate from one polling station to the other causing confusion.

Richard Todwong (left), the Secretary General of the NRM handing over party books to the people who crossed to NRM at NALI

Todwong also welcomed some leaders from NUP and UPC who have decided to join the NRM Party saying that they were misled to support amateurs in politics.

Todwong said that we all have a common enemy to fight therefore joining hands is the way to go.  “The common enemy is poverty, corruption, sickness, illiteracy and we want to improve household incomes. Therefore, when you join us as NRM you have made the right choice,” noted Todwong.

The leaders camped at NALI have been drawn from the districts of Kiboga, Masaka, Yumbe, Kibuku and Kibaale while those at Kaweweta for the same course are from the districts of Nakasongola, Gomba, Mbarara, Kalungu and Mbarara City.

The 11-day course that is expected to end on Saturday 7th September 2024 is organized by the Office of the Prime Minister in conjunction with the Ministry of Local Government and the Patriotism Secretariat.

H.E. President Yoweri Museveni is expected to preside over the closure at NALI where all the trainees will converge.

End