The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The NRM Manifesto Implementation Unit has indicated that the party has so far fulfilled 35 percent of its 2021-26 commitments to Ugandans.
The Unit released its half-term internal performance review audit report for three financial years, 2021/22, 2022/23 and the running one 2023/24.
According to the report, the performance has been on a positive upward trajectory from 11 percent and 20 percent in the 2021/22, and 2022/23 financial years respectively.
The manifesto which is subdivided into five thematic areas, has up to 577 implementation interventions the party ought to implement, for it to deliver its promise to the Ugandans that gave it the five-year mandate.
The thematic area subdivisions include; creating jobs and wealth for all Ugandans, delivering education, health, and water. It also sought to ensure justice and equity, protection of life and property, and achieving economic and political integration.
The report points out that achieving economic and political integration, followed by ensuring justice and equity were the worst-performing areas with 20 and 22 percent respectively.
On the other hand, protection of life and property was scored highly at 37 percent. ch.
Kabuye Ky’ofatogabye, the state minister for Kampala and metropolitan affairs, said the performance should be taken positively by the party members because it’s just a mechanism that is realigning them back to their promise to Ugandans.
“This review should be taken and looked at in a positive manner because they are trying to check on us, and they are helping us realign ourselves back to the lane or the right course. Do not argue, only appreciate and then maybe supplement with additional information which the team might have left out during the research process,” he stated.
Kabuye adds that though the performance is not that good, as party members, they should popularize what has so far been achieved, by packaging the information in a way that suits the current generation, such that the population can also appreciate the same, and this is the only way the party will beat the opposition in the upcoming coming elections.
According to the minister, the review is an assurance that the party is on course to achieving its manifesto, adding that it should also act as a wake-up call to the implementers especially the ministry permanent secretaries.
Wilson Basasha, the director of the Manifesto Implementation Unit in the office of the president, revealed that the permanent secretaries who are leading implementers of the document have been invited twice to the launch and the validation, such that they can also understand how they are faring on the ground, but none has turned up on both occasions.
He affirmed that as a Unit they will not shy away from disseminating what is transpiring on the ground, because that’s what they are called, and it’s the right thing to do for the good of the party.
According to Basasha, since the manifesto is an output document, the research mainly used assessment tools. He adds they at the manifesto unit, their major purpose is to weed and disseminate.
This unpleasant performance of the party over its commitments, has been largely attributed to the high levels of corruption, the low resources envelope to fund the interventions, the lack of prioritization of the manifesto commitments in the various MDA’s plans and budgeting, the low uptake of government programs by the population, the slow mindset change to enable government programs, which affects the uptake of such interventions.
The other factor is the shifting to program-based planning and budgeting, which came with new demands and changes in the fiscal policy setup, and also the high cost of doing business which has persisted.
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