NATIONAL YOUTH CADRES ASSOCIATION-UG

Today, the Council of African Political Parties (CAPP) elected me, alongside my elder sister, Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro, Secretary General of Tanzania’s Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) @ccm_tanzania as Vice Chairpersons representing East Africa. I am deeply honoured by this responsibility. It is a reminder that whatever we do within our respective political organisations goes beyond our national borders. The continent is watching, and our actions must reflect our shared aspirations for a united, peaceful and prosperous Africa.

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.