STATE HOUSE – President Museveni halted the reshuffle of Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) and their deputies following an emergency meeting at Nakasero State Lodge on Sunday, PML Daily has learnt.
The meeting that last nearly 5 hours was attended by, among others, Minister for the Presidency Esther Mbayo and the Principal Private Secretary to the President, Ms Molly Kamukama.
According to sources at the meeting, the deliberations have exposed the cracks in the relationship between Ms Mbayo and Ms Kamukama after it emerged that the latter had compiled the list of RDCs and their deputies alone, without the input of the minister.
The President is reported to have tasked the duo to explain how he suffered embarrassment after it was revealed that he had appointed some dead people as RDCs, attracting public ridicule. Last week, the President recalled the list of newly appointed RDCs after it emerged that some people included in the list had long died.
However, it has since emerged that one of the people who was reported to have died, is still alive and has demanded that his appointment be re-instate, causing more confusion.
In the Sunday meeting, however, Ms Mbayo explained that she was not aware of how the list was compiled. She is reported to have complained that some renowned NRM mobilisers in the East such as Butaleja RDC Richard Gulume and Luuka RDC Steven Bewayo were left out of the reshuffle.
Tasked to explain, Ms Kamukama is reported to have told the meeting that her selection was based on a long waiting list of NRM mobilisers who could not continue to remain in the cold without any appointments.
Ms Mbayo is said to have requested the President to put the few wrongs right and revise the list again.
However, an agitated Museveni is said to have rejected the request and instead ordered that the current RDCs remain in their positions until at least after the LC 1 elections.
The LC 1 elections are scheduled for July 10 and the President reportedly told the meeting that lack of functional and experienced RDCs could cost the ruling NRM party victory in the grassroots elections. He argued that having new presidential representatives in the districts at this time would affect the outcome of the LC polls.
The meeting ended at that moment, exposing the cracks in the relationship between Mbayo and Kamukama, the two women supposing to be pulling strings in State House.
Ms Mbayo on Sunday released a statement confirming this position.
Without giving details, the minister said:
“Following what has been circulating on social media about the appointment and transfer of resident district commissioners and deputy resident District commissioners, there has been tension and panic around the RDC fraternity,”
