The National Peasants Party (NPP) presidential candidate, Mr Robert Kasibante, has pledged to abolish the offices of Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) and Resident City Commissioners (RCCs) if elected as the next President of Uganda.
Speaking to traders and residents at Jinja Central Market Jinja City on Wednesday, Mr Kasibante said such positions are unnecessary and drain public resources that would instead benefit ordinary citizens.
‘The first thing I will do when I take office is to make RDCs and RCCs jobless. The money used to pay their salaries will be redirected to the youth and elderly through direct cash transfers of Shs200,000 to their phones,’ Mr Kasibante vowed, drawing cheers from the crowd.
Mr Kasibante, who hopes to dislodge President Museveni, who has had a grip on power for four decades, argued that the current structure of government is bloated, costly, and inefficient, with several leaders benefiting from taxpayers’ money without delivering meaningful services.
‘We have too many Members of Parliament and Ministers who enjoy public funds while the people lack quality infrastructure, healthcare, and education,’ he said.
The 11th Parliament has a total membership of 529 legislators, representing 46 million Ugandans, with critics arguing that several of them have never said a word on the floor.
Mr Kasibante proposed a leaner government system where each district would be represented by only one Member of Parliament, rather than the current arrangement that allocates MPs per county and a Women representative per district.
He noted that this and many of his reforms would reduce public expenditure and ensure better accountability if he were voted into power in the January 2026 General Election.
‘The RDCs, RCCs, MPs, and Ministers are all enjoying taxpayers’ money that should be used to improve basic services. My administration will end this wastage and corruption,’ Mr Kasibante emphasised.
The presidential hopeful also criticised the widespread corruption in government institutions, promising to implement strict anti-graft measures to ensure that citizens benefit directly from national resources.
‘We have seen how taxpayers’ money is lost through corruption. My government will stop this and ensure that every shilling serves the people,’ Mr Kasbante said.
Addressing the issue of security, Mr Kasibante said that under his leadership, the army would be confined to the barracks, focusing on their core duty of protecting the borders of Uganda and citizens’ property.
He criticised the current practice of deploying soldiers to enforce fishing restrictions on lakes, saying it undermines the livelihoods of poor fishermen.
‘The army should not stop fishermen from working. Fishing is their source of income, and my government will protect such economic activities,’ he said.
Mr Kasibante also condemned what he called police harassment of opposition politicians.
Referring to recent reports of security officers trailing fellow presidential candidate Mr Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, in a hotel, he said such actions reflect a shrinking democratic space.
‘If they can attack Robert Kyagulanyi in his hotel, then I, Robert Kasibante, could be the next target,’ he warned. ‘We must stop this intimidation and allow all candidates to campaign freely.’
Mr Kasibante concluded by urging Ugandans to vote for leaders committed to service delivery, transparency, and fairness.
He said his government would focus on empowering citizens, not enriching politicians.