Kampala, Uganda | URN | The Prime Minister, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda has said corruption in government agencies and departments is undermining the implementation of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) 2016-21 manifesto.
Speaking on Friday 15, May 2020 at the launch of the NRM manifesto week at the Office of The President Auditorium, Rugunda said many of their targets and promises to Ugandans would be achieved beyond the current 80 per cent if the government was corruption free. He however was quick to add that government is doing everything to fix this shortcoming.
Rugunda also talked about the delays in acquisition of land and the expensive land acquisition for flagship projects across sectors which he said has also stalled a number of projects as another major challenge.
Last year government had proposed a bill that sought to amend the constitution to allow compulsory land acquisition before compensation. But the bill faced stiff resistance from all corners of the country, people calling it a ploy to steal their land.
On COVID-19, the Prime Minister is the head of the National Task Force to deal with the pandemic, said it has also proven to be working negatively against their plans. He said a lot of resources that would otherwise have gone into other development activities are now being channeled towards defeating the pandemic.
“The pandemic has affected and continues to pose serious challenges to lives, livelihood, businesses and our whole way of life. But we are confident that we will defeat it,” said Rugunda.
On Tuesday, May 12, marked four years since President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni was sworn in for his fifth elective term after winning the disputed February 18, 2016 general elections “Overall, our assessment of the implementation of the Manifesto commitments to date stands at about 80 percent. As we stand, we are on course to achieve most of the targets we set out in the Manifesto,” added Rugunda.
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He highlighted some of the achievements in the last four years which include; completion and commissioning of Isimba Dam which added 183 MW of electricity on the grid, reviving of the Uganda Airline, completion and commissioning of the Specialized Women hospital at Mulago, rehabilitation of Mulago National Referral Hospital, launching and opening several factories that produce goods ranging from food products to agricultural inputs and other essentials, completion of the construction of the one border stop points in the main exit/ entry points to facilitate cross border trade, among others.
