The woes facing Luuka district woman MP Esther Mbayo, who is also the Minister for Presidency directly responsible for RDCs, have only gotten worse. Mbayo, who defiantly contradicted the President by communicating a message divergent from what he directed during the stormy Sunday afternoon meeting at Nakasero State Lodge, has been contradicted by government spokesman Ofwono Opondo who is renowned for taking no prisoners when serving his master. Mbayo, who will be lucky to keep her job in the impending cabinet reshuffle, prudently implied in her Sunday evening media statement that the incumbent RDCs should continue occupying their offices. But as if to pile more anxiety on the new cadres on Museveni’s new RDC list, Mbayo urged the public to ignore the previous communications announcing new Resident District Commissioners (RDCs). This created an impression that her statement, and not the President’s, was actually the last word on the matter.
Her statement left hundreds of newly appointed RDCs and their deputies very stressed and many started ringing Media Center seeking clarification. “She created more confusion and demoralized mobilizers at a time when the President wants everybody to concentrate on mobilizing for the NRM to win the upcoming LC1 elections. It’s something for which Mbayo may never be forgiven,” sources said of the ill-fated Minister whose pleas to recall the list and make some alterations on it were flatly rejected by the President during the Sunday meeting as was exclusively reported by this news website. In what amounted to corroborating our Sunday story (I’M NOT RECALLING MY RDCS’ LIST: M7 TELLS OFF MBAYO IN HOT STATE HOUSE MEETING), Opondo asked the newly appointed RDCs to take heart while patiently waiting to be called upon to pick their appointment letters. As this news website precisely reported quoting what the President said at the Sunday meeting, Opondo asked the new RDCs to carry on mobilization as they await their posting at a future date which he didn’t disclose.
In our Sunday story, the President was correctly quoted as directing that the RDCs’ Secretariat communicates to the new appointees asking them to expect being posted in September but Mbayo’s media release was ambiguous and omitted making this very important clarification. Opondo’s more clarified communication sent out earlier today reads as follows: “This is to inform all RDCs and Deputy RDCs to stay and continue working at their duty stations where they have been. Newly appointed RDCs and Deputy RDCs should also stay where they are until office of the President calls them to pick their appointment letters and posting instructions. Those affected by the transfers should in the meantime prepare their handover reports.” For purposes of enabling all make comprehensive comparison, we hereby attach both media statements: Opondo’s and that of Esther Mbayo.
