The Minister for the Presidency, Hon. Babirye Milly Babalanda has summoned a section of Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) and Resident City Commissioners (RCCs) to defend themselves over their alleged involvement in the disruption of Women’s Day celebrations organized by Women Members of Parliament of different districts.
The districts whose RDCs/ RCCs are being implicated in the incidents include; Mityana, Buvuma, Kiboga, Kasese, Soroti and Hoima.
According to Hon. Babalanda, the commissioners are public servants who are governed by the Public Service Standing Orders of Uganda and were also given additional guidelines in the form of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to guide them on their mandate.
She says once found guilty, the RDCs will face disciplinary action as per the Public Service Standing Orders.
“The Office of the President has equipped the RDCs RCCs with enough training and we have on several occasions lectured them on their roles,” the Minister emphasized.
The development follows the Women MPs’ petition to the Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon. Anita Among requesting her to lead them in a demonstration showing dissatisfaction over the violation of the rights of women and the threat to their lives which also violates the Constitution.
The MPs in their petition say security operatives from Uganda Police and UPDF on orders of the RDCs and RCCs without justification stormed the venues, immediately fired teargas, and live bullets and splashed coloured peppered water towards the participants, thus disrupting the meetings.
They say the same situation happened in Ngora and Wakiso last year. “…That Parliament orders Ministers for Presidency, Internal Affairs and Gender to present comprehensive reports to the House detailing our concerns and what they have done in this gross violation of the rights of women and the Constitution,” the MPs asked the Speaker.
They also want parliament to compel the Minister of Presidency to appear in the Presidential Affairs Committee with the implicated RDCs in the affected Districts so that they can personally account for their actions.