BY JOACKIM KULE
The Office of the President under the department of Chancery has embarked on the process of sensitizing the leaders and journalists from the Rwenzori sub-region about the right steps to be followed while identifying people who qualify to benefit from the national honors and awards programme.
Government is currently implementing a system of recognizing and rewarding outstanding acts and achievements of her citizens and such recognition puts on record the appreciations for the contribution of persons who have distinguished themselves in service to the nation.
The rewards are in form of orders, medals and decorations which are given to individuals after proposals of honor and awards from the ministries, departments, agencies of government, nongovernmental and corporate organizations which are submitted in the field of civil and military sector, academia, culture, media, religion, sports, industry among others to the Chancery which is the permanent custodian and administrator of Uganda’s National Honors.
While facilitating at the sensitization meeting of some journalists and leaders in Kasese district yesterday, Mr. Tonny Mulambe, the Principal Assistant Secretary, Office of the President’s Chancery Department, noted that after establishing that the people had not yet known the procedure of being awarded for their contributions to the nation, they decided to begin with the journalists and leaders who are key in disseminating information.
According to him, for one to be rewarded, their names should have been secretly profiled by any person and submitted to the RDC’s office. The RDC is also tasked with the role of forwarding the names and details to the Chancery for independent verification.
He also revealed that the deceased stand a chance of being awarded a post –humus medal through their relatives who are still alive as long as their details have been verified by the Chancery department.
Lt. Joe Walusimbi, the Kasese Resident District Commissioner described the sensitization and awareness programme as timely, adding that most people across the district have been complaining over the alleged failure for them to benefit from such offers.
However, Mr. Johnson Kabagambe, the NRM Chairperson for Kanyangeya Ward who later interacted with the journalists argued for the many years he has spent working for government, he has never been recognized.
He appealed to the President put in place other mechanisms of meeting the people who have worked for government and share with them the ideas that they might be having to further develop the country.
ENDS