MUKONO — Mukono District Local Government, in partnership with the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, has intensified efforts to strengthen the implementation of the Government Public Education Airtime Programme through stakeholder engagement and capacity building aimed at improving communication of government services and information to communities.
The engagement, held at Mukono District Headquarters in the Chief Administrative Officer’s boardroom on Monday, brought together district leaders, technical officers, security officials, communications personnel and media practitioners to discuss strategies for improving coordination, awareness and effectiveness of the programme.
The Government Public Education Airtime Programme was introduced to enhance public access to information on government policies, programmes and services through radio and television platforms.
Officials from the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, led by Mrs. Sylvia Kizito Biraabwa Nakabugu, revealed that the Ministry secured free airtime on various radio and television stations across the country to support public education and government communication initiatives.
The Ministry, working in collaboration with Local Governments and the Office of the President, oversees implementation of the programme to ensure proper coordination and management of public talk shows.
Participants at the engagement included Mukono District Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Mr. Ddamba Henry, Assistant Resident District Commissioner Mr. Kakaire Sadiki representing RDC Hajjati Fatuma Ndisaba, Principal Assistant CAO Mr. Kamala Daniel, District IT Officer Mr. Kiwalabye, Communications Officer Mr. Kaddu Derrick, Deputy District Internal Security Officer Mr. Gusango Richard Nickson, and representatives from media houses including Dunamis Radio and Mukono FM.
While welcoming participants, CAO Mr. Ddamba Henry commended the Ministry for organizing the engagement and underscored the need for proper departmental organization to support effective implementation of the programme.
“This programme is a very good tool for communicating government services and information to the communities we serve. Departments should be well organized to ensure effective participation,” Mr. Ddamba said.
Representatives from the Ministry, including Communications Officer Mr. Moses Jimmy Olara, explained that the engagement formed part of ongoing efforts to strengthen government programme implementation through structured radio and television talk shows.
The Ministry further disclosed that an implementation action plan had been developed under which one-hour weekly radio talk shows would be conducted, with reports generated to evaluate outcomes and effectiveness.
Officials also noted that revised operational guidelines had been introduced for Local Governments and media houses to improve coordination and enhance professionalism in programme implementation.
The Ministry emphasized that while non-governmental organizations may participate in discussions, district technical officials will continue leading engagements since the Airtime Programme remains a government initiative.
During discussions, Mukono District Communications Officer Mr. Kaddu Derrick highlighted previous implementation challenges, particularly unfavorable programme scheduling, which affected participation by technical officers and district leaders.
“The airtime has been utilized, but some schedules have not been favorable. Late-night programmes affect participation of technical officials and other leaders expected to take part,” Mr. Kaddu explained.
In response, CAO Mr. Ddamba directed the Communications Office to develop a quarterly implementation framework to guide scheduling and coordination with media partners.
“Radio stations should be reminded to provide suitable programme schedules that accommodate technical teams. We need a quarterly plan for proper coordination,” he directed.
Assistant RDC Mr. Kakaire Sadiki welcomed the initiative and pledged support from the RDC’s office, while emphasizing that implementation should remain under the district technical wing headed by the CAO.
“As the Office of the RDC, we appreciate this initiative and we are ready to participate whenever required. However, implementation should remain under the technical wing led by the CAO while our role remains supervision and oversight,” he noted.
He also called for strict adherence to operational guidelines and proposed facilitation support for technical officers participating in programme delivery.
Officials revealed that revised implementation guidelines were developed following concerns that some previous programmes had become politically inclined during moderation.
Under the new arrangements, media houses will schedule programmes between 7:00am–9:00am or 7:00pm–9:00pm and allocate one hour weekly to improve preparation and participation by technical teams.
The guidelines also make participation mandatory for selected Local Government technical staff, while allowing NGOs to participate alongside technical officials depending on the subject matter under discussion.
Leaders expressed optimism that improved coordination, stronger partnerships and clear operational guidelines will enhance community engagement, accountability and public participation, ultimately improving service delivery and access to government information across Mukono District.
