Ahumuza Penkson

Today, I had the honour of representing the President of the Republic of Uganda, H.E. Gen. (Rtd.) Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, at the burial of the late Hon. Olivia Kabaale Kwagala, former Woman Member of Parliament for Iganga District, held at Nakivumbi in Bugweri District. Hon. Kwagala, who passed away after battling cancer, was the beloved daughter of the late Mr. Kabaale John Amulam and Mrs. Florence Kabaale Nansubuga. Her death is a profound loss to her family, the people of Iganga District, the National Resistance Movement (NRM), and the country at large. In his condolence message, H.E. the President @KagutaMuseveni expressed deep sorrow over her passing, describing her as a patriot whose life was characterised by distinguished service, humility and dedication to Uganda. He noted that the country lost a young leader who departed in the prime of her life, leaving behind a legacy that would inspire generations. The President paid tribute to her contribution to national development, peace and stability, particularly her service to the people of Iganga District and her commitment as a hardworking NRM cadre and mobiliser. He further urged Ugandans to honour her legacy by embracing wealth and job creation at the household level, taking advantage of the prevailing peace and improved infrastructure to invest in viable enterprises across commercial agriculture, services, industry and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). He encouraged the bereaved family to draw comfort from the meaningful and purposeful life she had lived and the contribution she had made to her community and country. He also saluted her for putting a brick (etofali) on Uganda's socio-economic transformation. In my address, I commended H.E. the President for the financial support extended to Hon. Kwagala during her illness. I also conveyed the Government's commitment to strengthening cancer prevention, treatment and care services across the country, including the President's proposal to establish standard cancer treatment hospitals in every region to improve access to specialised medical services. I appreciated the bereaved family, religious leaders, political leaders and all those who stood with Hon. Kwagala and her family throughout her illness and during the mourning period. I delivered H.E. the President's condolence contribution of UGX 10 million, expressed my sympathy to the bereaved family and prayed that Almighty God grants them strength and comfort during this difficult time. May the soul of the late Hon. Olivia Kabaale Kwagala rest in eternal peace. For God and My Country!

I warmly congratulate Hon. Ruth Katushabe @KatushabeRuth82 upon the High Court in Masaka upholding her declaration as the duly elected District Woman Member of Parliament for Bukomansimbi. This judicial decision reaffirms the importance of the rule of law, respect for democratic institutions, and adherence to due judicial process. I wish Hon. Katushabe success as she continues to serve the people of Bukomansimbi with dedication, commitment, and integrity. May this victory mark a renewed chapter of effective representation, unity, and development for the people of Bukomansimbi. Congratulations once again.

I also called for accessible community information and safe reporting mechanisms to enable citizens to raise concerns about beneficiary selection, delayed payments, exclusion, fraud and official misconduct. All complaints must be properly documented, handled responsibly and referred to the appropriate authorities. On accountability, I urged leaders to go beyond financial reporting and assess the programme's actual impact through four key measures: inclusion, to ensure vulnerable households benefit; integrity, to guarantee proper use of resources; delivery, to establish whether projects meet the required standards; and impact, to determine whether household incomes, food security, employment and community resilience are improving. I appealed to Busoga leaders to demonstrate discipline, integrity and commitment to public service, placing the interests of communities above personal and political considerations. RDCs must remain vigilant and impartial, political leaders should mobilise communities, technical officers must uphold professional standards, and citizens should actively participate, demand transparency and report wrongdoing. Our collective responsibility is to ensure that no resources are diverted, no eligible household is discriminated against and no beneficiary is left behind through negligence or abuse. Let us make NUSAF IV a programme remembered not for the money it spent, but for the families it lifted, the enterprises it strengthened, the jobs it created and the dignity it restored. I called upon all stakeholders to work together to make NUSAF IV an effective intervention in accelerating Busoga's socioeconomic transformation and improving the livelihoods of ordinary Ugandans. For God and My Country!

Yesterday, at Jinja Nile Resort, I had the honour of addressing Resident District/City Commissioners (RDCs), their Deputies, District Chairpersons, Mayors, Chief Administrative Officers, Town Clerks, district technical officers, local government councillors and other stakeholders during an engagement to prepare leaders for the rollout of the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund IV (NUSAF IV) in the Busoga sub-region. I commended the Office of the Prime Minister and the World Bank for their partnership in implementing the programme, noting that similar engagements had already been conducted in Acholi, Elgon, Lango, Karamoja and Bukedi sub-regions. As a daughter of Busoga and Minister for the Presidency, I have a particular responsibility to ensure that this intervention delivers meaningful results. Despite the region's fertile soils, abundant water resources and agricultural potential, poverty, youth unemployment and food insecurity remain significant challenges. An estimated 840,700 people in Busoga account for approximately 12 per cent of Uganda's poor population, underscoring the need for effective interventions that improve household livelihoods. I emphasised that NUSAF IV provides an important opportunity to address these challenges through enterprise grants for agriculture, fisheries and small businesses, as well as labour-intensive public works that generate income while improving community infrastructure. Its success must therefore be measured not by the amount of money released but by the number of households whose livelihoods are transformed. I cautioned political, administrative and technical leaders against corruption, political interference, elite capture and the diversion of public resources, emphasising that NUSAF IV must benefit its intended beneficiaries without discrimination or political manipulation. As the Supervisor of RDCs, their Deputies and Assistants, I underscored their responsibility to provide effective oversight through regular field visits, transparent beneficiary selection, stakeholder coordination, monitoring and accountability. I directed them to investigate suspected cases of fraud, follow up complaints and ensure that government resources reach the intended communities. Oversight must be active, impartial and grounded in the realities on the ground, while respecting the mandates of the Office of the Prime Minister, local governments and other implementation structures.I was particularly emphatic that NUSAF IV must never become a political reward for supporters or a tool for punishing opponents. No leader should demand political allegiance, fees, kickbacks or any portion of a beneficiary's grant. Support must be extended strictly in accordance with approved eligibility criteria, without favouritism, discrimination or interference. I also tasked Chief Administrative Officers, Town Clerks and district technical officers with ensuring compliance with approved procedures, budgets and safeguards, including proper beneficiary verification, accurate financial records, expenditure supervision, risk management and accountability reporting. I called for coordination between NUSAF IV and other government poverty eradication and economic empowerment programmes, including the Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga, GROW and UWEP. Such coordination is essential to avoid duplication and double financing while creating opportunities for beneficiaries to access complementary support, agricultural extension services, savings groups and markets. I warned against elite capture and conflicts of interest, urging leaders to protect programme resources from manipulation by influential individuals seeking personal or political gain.