KAS

Between 7th and 8th April 2016, 45 participants drawn from Ntoroko, Kyenjojo and Kabarole districts participated in a training workshop on promoting good governance in their districts. Aware of the fact that multipartyism is still relatively new in Uganda, the concept lacks appreciation especially at the local level thus the need to orient the new leaders on the key tenets of the same. With the assumption that elected and appointed leaders need to work together in order to foster growth and harmonious working relations which is the bedrock for development of the individual districts, the training opened the understanding of the leaders to accommodate divergent views.

The leaders who include Resident District Commissioners, LCV and LC 3 chairpersons, Sub county Chiefs, Community Development Officers, Chief Administrative Officers, Women and Youth Leaders were akin to learning how best they can work together to foster good governance and multiparty democracy in their districts despite their divergence in political views.

While opening the workshop, the Resident District commissioner of Kabarole district congratulated the elected leaders upon attaining a new legislature period of 5 years while cautioning them not to waste all their time in politicking but rather begin to devise ways of actualising their promises to the electorate. He promised to arrest all those who undermine the government in any way, arguing that this had stalled service delivery in the three districts in the last 5 years. Mr. Stephen Asiimwe reminded the leaders that NRM had won the elections and therefore had the mandate to deliver on their manifesto. In order for the government to achieve this, he asked the elected and appointed leaders alike top support all government programmes since they benefit all Ugandans regardless of their political affiliations. The RDC thanked KAS for the cordial relationship with government and for helping the government with programmes for leaders such as this training. He requested that KAS considers rolling it out to the other districts across the country so that all the new leaders can benefit from the knowledge.

The Country on the other hand noted how important it was for leaders to play their role in promoting good governance. He emphasised that divergence of opinion is not necessarily evil but rather people should find space to accommodate each other thus breeding a conducive environment for democracy to thrive. The KAS Country Representative pledged the support of KAS to DNG and government as a whole.

During the sessions, participants expressed a lot of enthusiasm towards the content as others find the concept completely new to them. They urged the directorate of National Guidance DNG to ensure that such trainings are also organised for the top district leadership who usually don’t have time to take in trainings of this nature only to issue instructions which are not in line with tenets of good government. The appointed leaders noted that they sometimes have to decide on whether to act against the law or rather take wrong instructions from their superiors who are not privy to knowledge on pluralism. A participant who passed a vote of thanks at the end of their training appealed to fellow participants to act on the knowledge they had received which if they did, will create a big difference in the way they run the affairs of the districts.

Thanks to DNG and Dr. Milton Mutto who facilitated the workshop