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Message: [QUOTE="Munyaradzi Mafaro, post: 33492, member: 636"] Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni met with approximately 200 government administrators at State House in Entebbe, urging them to tackle key issues hindering service delivery and social transformation. The officials, including Chief Administrative Officers, Town Clerks, and undersecretaries, had recently completed training at the National Leadership Institute. President Museveni identified several "irritants" undermining public trust in government. He criticized the illegal practice of charging fees in government-aided schools, calling it a betrayal of Uganda's universal education policy. "The head teachers are sabotaging our free education program by imposing illegal charges on parents," Museveni said, questioning why political leaders failed to prioritize "Education for All." The President instructed administrators to enforce the no-fees policy and opposed expanding boarding schools, suggesting children should instead "sleep at home" to avoid burdening poor families with additional costs. Museveni also condemned the theft of medications from government health centers despite successful immunization efforts against diseases like measles and polio. "The stealing of drugs is a big irritant. We must stop it," he insisted. Land grabbing received particular attention, with the President promising an executive order to prevent military involvement in land disputes. "The army must protect Uganda's borders, not to patrol land boundaries," he stated. On economic development, Museveni promoted his Four-Acre Model strategy for small landholders. He recommended dedicated acres for coffee, fruits, dairy farming, and food crops, with additional backyard activities like poultry and fish farming. He contrasted this with extensive agriculture, which requires larger land areas to generate significant income. Local Government Minister Raphael Magyezi praised the training program as timely and impactful. Gabriel Atama, speaking for the administrators, highlighted achievements including implementation of the Parish Development Model with 10,585 registered SACCOs and over 2.6 trillion Ugandan shillings disbursed to more than 2.6 million citizens. He also reported progress in education, health infrastructure, and road construction. However, Atama noted challenges affecting administrator effectiveness, including serving in distant districts, insufficient pay, and rising living costs. He requested increased support and welfare improvements to match the responsibilities placed on government officials. [/QUOTE]

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