The Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) has told ministers Kasule Lumumba, the Minister in Charge of General Duties, and Kyeyune Haruna Kasolo, the Minister of State for Microfinance, to stop intimidating civil servants.
UPC head of communications and media, Faisal Muzeeyi, made these remarks on September 25, 2025, after the two ministers, while concluding the training of over 160 Microfinance Support Center staff at the National Leadership Institute in Kyankwanzi District, called upon civil servants to either support the National Resistance Movement (NRM) or quit civil service and go home.
Muzeeyi said that the statements by the two ministers, that civil servants should actively campaign for the NRM and President Museveni are against the standing orders of public service, and as UPC, they don’t condone such remarks.
“UPC condemns the tendency of threatening and intimidating civil servants. We need to draw a line between working for the government and active campaigns for a political party,” Muzeeyi said.
Muzeeyi further added that the ministers should be fully aware of the key clauses in the Political Parties and Organizations Act, which forbid police, army, public officers, and traditional leaders from participating in politics.
“There is a procedure of first resigning and then going into active partisan politics, and this is clear for all Ugandans, Muzeeyi noted.
The UPC spokesperson, Arach Oyat Sharon, said that the UPC takes note that professional civil servants shall always be needed in the running of government programs, projects, and interpretation of policies, which requires focus without any political bias or victimization.
“UPC calls for the total support of public servants as they are the engine that moves government programs, projects, and policies right from village to the national level.” Arach said.
Arach added that this demands total goodwill from the political wing to implement such programs, as opposed to opportunistically pressuring civil servants to deliver on government programs, projects, and pledges towards the tail end of the election cycle to win the political favor of the masses.
The training program aims to equip the staff with the necessary skills to enhance their efficiency and productivity within the framework of the NRM’s goals. However, the ministers’ strong stance has sparked discussions about the implications of political allegiance in public service roles and the potential consequences for those who choose not to comply.
