PPU: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged public administrators to liaise with reformers or political leaders who make a diagnosis in society when it comes to issues of philosophy and ideology.
According to the President, this will help the society to achieve effective administration.
“As you discuss the techniques on how to administer, what are you administering? Neo-colonialism or socio-economic transformation? Ensure that the context in which you administer is correct for socio-economic issues,” he said.
The President made the remarks on Tuesday while officiating at the 4-day 43rd African Association of Public Administration and Management (AAPAM) Round Table Conference and Annual General Meeting running from November 26-29, 2024, at Speke Resort Munyonyo, Kampala.
The conference, themed: “Agile and Resilient Public Administration Framework for Sustainable Development in Africa”, has brought together over 1,000 delegates from across the continent. Participants will deliberate on strategies to strengthen governance systems to address Africa’s social, economic, and environmental challenges.
This marks the third time Uganda has hosted the event, following the 20th conference in 1998 and the 38th in 2018. The gathering is expected to highlight Uganda’s progress and leadership in public administration, while boosting its reputation as a top destination for international events.
He said when the National Resistance Movement (NRM) came into power in 1986, it found the public administrators operating and administering under the Neo-colonialism mode, which was a hurdle to political and economic development of the country.
President Museveni explained that since public Administrators before the NRM government were working under the neo-colonial mode, Uganda had a small island of the enclave economy which later collapsed due to the political difficulties the country faced from 1962 to 1986.
“Uganda was exporting copper and processed up to 94 percent purity and you could not use it in your factory here. It will go all the way to Mombasa to be exported. Then we had to import the fully processed copper to be used in the cables factory.”
He added that due to NRM’s clear analysis, they came up with the 10-point program, with point number five focusing on the economy.
The Head of Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet also president of AAPAM-Uganda Chapter, Ms. Lucy Nakyobe said Public Administration is crucial in the modern-day world since it serves as the engine that drives service delivery.
