Kampala, Uganda | Legislators have rejected proposals by the Office of the President to transfer Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) accused of misconduct during the recently concluded general elections, arguing that redeployment merely shifts governance challenges from one district to another instead of addressing accountability concerns.
The matter arose during a meeting between Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and officials from the Office of the President while reviewing the December 2025 Auditor General’s report.
Susan Mugabi, the Woman Member of Parliament for Buvuma District, criticized the continued reassignment of RDCs facing allegations of misconduct, saying the practice undermines accountability and exposes new districts to administrative challenges.
She argued that instead of transferring controversial officials, government should take decisive disciplinary action against those who fail to execute their duties professionally.
At the same meeting, Gorreth Namugga, the legislator representing Mawogola South Constituency in Ssembabule District, raised concerns about what she described as the militarisation of elections in the area.
Namugga alleged that personnel from the Special Forces Command (SFC) played a dominant role in managing election activities, a situation she said discouraged voter participation and undermined democratic processes.
She called for firm disciplinary measures against officials linked to election violence and electoral irregularities rather than transferring them to other districts.
In response, the Secretary in the Office of the President, Hajji Yunus Kakande, acknowledged that not all RDCs met government expectations during the elections.
He told the committee that several commissioners from districts including Ssembabule, Buvuma, Kibuku and Lwengo had been summoned to explain their conduct, with some facing transfers while others were undergoing disciplinary review.
Kakande revealed that internal meetings had been held to assess how security deployments complicated the work of RDCs in certain districts, noting that some commissioners had requested time to conclude lower-level electoral processes before redeployment.
During the session, Kakande also disclosed that unidentified security operatives took control of election operations in Ssembabule after both military and police commanders denied responsibility for forces deployed in the district.
He explained that attempts to seek clarification from the then Masaka area army commander, the late Deus Sande, and regional police leadership failed to establish who commanded the security personnel involved.
Kakande further attributed some election disputes to weaknesses within the Electoral Commission, arguing that returning officers were vulnerable to intimidation by powerful local actors.
He proposed that Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) be appointed as returning officers at district level to strengthen accountability and ensure effective central supervision.
Meanwhile, Patrick Nsamba, the Member of Parliament for Kassanda North Constituency, warned that transferring errant RDCs risks spreading similar governance challenges to other districts.
Nsamba argued that some RDCs operate under the misconception that they are political representatives of the President rather than neutral public administrators, urging government to discipline implicated officials instead of redeploying them.
Legislators maintained that firm disciplinary action against errant commissioners would help restore public confidence in electoral management and district governance systems.
