I thank God who helped me serve Uganda - Prof. Nsibambi

PROF. Apolo Nsibambi has been Uganda’s Prime Minister for the past 12 years. Prior to this position, he served as the Minister of Public service for three years and Minister of Education and Sports. Below is the speech he delivered during his thanksgiving service at Namirembe Cathedral in Kampala on June 12, after he retired from politics

I wish to thank God for having given me life and having enabled me to serve Uganda faithfully as political leader for 15 years.

God enabled me to serve at Makerere University as a professor of political science and public administration, and as a chancellor of Makerere University.

While at Makerere University, I spearheaded projects which assisted the department and Makerere University Institute of Social Research to get money for research and publication of articles and books and also scholarships.

Furthermore, I encouraged the recruitment of a Marxist academician into the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, a measure which enabled the students and the academic staff to be exposed to capitalist and Marxist ideologies. Different schools of thought were able to content and bloom.

Furthermore, I encouraged public debates concerning national and international issues to take place.
Makerere University attracted a lot of public attention and interest as people flocked to the Main Building to listen to Prof. Mamdani, Prof. Mujaju, Prof. Nsibambi and other people, debate the issues.

As chancellor, I made sure the quality of education was improved by inter alia advising the council to reduce the intake of students because the existing infrastructure could not accommodate a large number of students.

I also recognised, during graduation ceremonies, professors and other members of staff who had published books, as a method of encouraging the academic staff to carry out research and publish books and articles in learned journals.

Tribute must be paid to His Excellency the President for having appointed me as minister of public service, minister of education and sports and, finally, prime minister for 12 years.

The political theory of good governance which I taught at Makerere University has been greatly enriched by practical experience. Indeed, I have been a student of practical politics.

I thank the President and my colleagues, the ministers, for having given practical political hints to a technocratic, non-elected prime minister of Uganda.

I hope I have marketed the role of a technocratic political leader in Uganda’s politics.

I thank the ministers and public servants for cooperating with me in the fulfilment of our mandates.

During my tenure as prime minister, I was privileged to coordinate hardworking colleagues, the ministers in the Prime Minister’s Office who were implementing the pacification and recovery of the northern Uganda, Luweero-Rwenzori and Karamoja regions.

They were assisted by the intelligent Pious Bigirimana, the permanent secretary and other public servants in my office. The recovery programmes include Peace Recovery and Development Plan Northern Uganda Social Action II; Northern Uganda Rehabilitation, Karamoja Integrated, Disarmament Development Programme and Luweero-Rwenzori Development Project.

When people from these areas realised the concrete benefits of these projects, including the realisation of peace, they voted for the NRM Government.

I wish to take this opportunity to thank our development partners for having given financial and technical assistance to the Government of Uganda. I have worked with them in a candid and cordial manner.

I was assisted by Janat Mukwaya, the minister of general duties to co-ordinate the activities of other ministers, departments and agencies in order to ensure effective implementation of Government policies.

The Office of the Prime Minister developed an instrument for measuring performance by all ministers, departments and agencies.

This instrument has been and will continue to be used to measure performance and the cabinet will continue to meet to discuss performance reports.
The annual cabinet retreat will continue to inform the National Budget Conference which prioritises the allocation of finical resources to ministries.

As leader of Government Business in Parliament, assisted by Hon Daudi Migereko, the Government chief whip, I had to ensure that cabinet ministers attend Parliament and complete the sessions of Parliament where they answer questions concerning their ministries.

The major challenge I have faced is that when the NRM Parliamentary Caucus discusses a Bill or an issue and agrees on a position, some undisciplined members of NRM in Parliament disown the agreed position on the floor of Parliament and this indiscipline tends to infect some other backbenchers.
It has been my duty to counsel the undisciplined MPs who usually have their grievances.

Parliament has found it difficult to realise the quorum of the third of all MPs entitled to vote. Consequently, there have been adjournments which have delayed completion of the business of Parliament. While a number of measures must be taken to address this problem, the size of the quorum should also be reduced from 33% to 20%.

Indeed, in some democratic countries, the quorum is much lower. For example, in the UK, the quorum in the House is of Commons is 40 out of 650 members, which is 6%. In Canada, the quorum is 20 members.

I request the prime minister to ensure that this matter is discussed by Cabinet and other stakeholders so that a durable solution may be found.

I have worked closely and harmoniously with Prof. Ogenga Latigo, the former leader of the Opposition.

Indeed, although the NRM Government has a big majority in Parliament, whenever the Opposition has made constructive proposals when amending Bills, the Government has accepted them.
I hope this harmonious relationship will continue to flourish in a multi-party dispensation.

Tribute must be paid to the vice-president, the former speaker of Parliament and Rebecca Kadaga, the former deputy speaker, who is now the Speaker of Parliament for chairing Parliament in a diligent and professional manner.

I wish to thank Esther, my wife, who not only supported me but also advised me and prayed for me as I handled intricate state affairs. I also thank my children, their spouses, brothers and sisters and religious leaders for their moral and spiritual support. Tribute to my escorts and guards for a job very well done.

Major outstanding issues which must be addressed by the Government include: First, we must strengthen accounting and other institutions in order to enhance good governance.
Second, effective time management is lacking in Uganda.

It is difficult to achieve performance targets. Systematic steps must be taken to address this matter.

Third, significant cases of indiscipline continue to be exhibited as already mentioned. Deliberate effort must be taken to cure this problem at all levels.
Fourth, motivation is a major ingredient in effective service delivery. As the financial situation improves, this matter should be given high priority.

I welcome President Museveni’s promise to review salaries of public servants under a new pay reform.
He made this promise when he delivered the state of nation address to Parliament on June 7.

Fifth, whatever we say or do, should promote a culture of dialogue, open and peaceful contestation between different groups, political hygiene, and eradication of corruption.

I have worked closely with mass media whose role I have appreciated. I urge it to improve its investigative capacity and to practise objective reporting.

What shall I do during retirement? I shall carry out research, publish articles, and books, and play the piano and also attend to our dairy farm with my wife.
I take this opportunity to point out that whatever skills and virtues I have exhibited, I attribute to my late father, Semyoni Nsibambi, who started the East African Revival in 1922, an excellent time-keeper who was highly organised.He acquired these skills at King’s College Budo where he was a head prefect.

My skills and virtues are also attributable to my late mother, Eva Nsibambi, who was extremely hardworking and religious.

Finally, I wish to thank God, the Creator, who enabled me to survive miraculously a helicopter crash and has enabled me to serve Uganda faithfully as prime minister and in other capacities.

My wife, Esther, and I have always sought God’s guidance to enable me carry out my function effectively.
I am grateful to God for having answered our prayers.