Hajji Ramathan Walugembe, Maracha RDC, delivering his remarks at the International Labour Day celebrations. 

Maracha District residents have been urged to embrace hard work to realize change in their lives and communities. This was part of the several appeals made during the District celebrations to commemorate International Labour Day on Thursday, May 1, at Nyadri Urban Secondary School playground in Maracha Town Council.   

Uganda joined workers around the world to celebrate International Labour Day 2025 under the national theme “Consolidating on the gains of the Parish Development Model (PDM) for increased productivity and inclusive job creation.”

Launched in February 2022, PDM is a strategic initiative by government aimed at transforming subsistence households into income-generating entities, thereby enhancing productivity and fostering inclusive job creation. The goal of PDM is to increase household incomes and improve the quality of life of Ugandans with a specific focus on the transformation of the subsistence households.

Hajji Ramathan Walugembe, Maracha Resident District Commissioner (RDC), said most youth are trapped in poverty due to poor attitude towards work and fancy life styles.  

“Today’s workers day, what are you doing as a person at home?, before you say President Museveni has brought poverty, what is it that you have sold and he refused to pay?. Everybody knows how poverty comes about, poverty comes because of idleness. People do not want to work,” he stated.

Hajji Walugembe said the NRM government has invested a lot of resources in transforming the West Nile region through infrastructural development and programs geared at livelihood enhancement.

“You were using generators, you were using solar, but now umeme (electricity) has come under this regime. If you say government has done nothing at least you mention that NRM has brought electricity to West Nile” he told the gathering.  

As the country heads to the 2025/2026 General Elections, he cautioned politicians against propagating lies and making promises to the electorate that are beyond their means to fulfill.    

"Those who are campaigning tell people what you are capable of doing, don't deceive because it can turn against you, tell people what your mandate is. Don't tell people things you cannot do."

Hon. Bosco Asea, Maracha District Vice Chairperson, observed women are heavily burden in the management of household affairs since men have neglected their responsibilities, a situation that needs to be reversed.

“We need to come up with interventions to ensure everybody works, there are people who depend on the efforts of others. The only way to prosperity is work. If we can't join our hands at family (level) this is going to be a big challenge," he said.

Hon. Asea accused some aspiring political candidates of sowing seeds of disunity and also de-campaigning government programs as they go about interacting with prospective voters. 

Hon. Dicky  Alema, Male – Workers representative to the District Council said that salaries discrepancies among public servants has become a cause for demotivation, but added government is committed to enhancing salaries of all its employees but in a phased manner.  Hon. Alema, commended the human resource office of Maracha District for timely payment of staff salary.  He said proper procedures have to be followed when taking disciplinary action against staff. 

Mr. Stephen Edema Budraa, Maracha District Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, explained government’s vision of every parish having a bank through the PDM program could be achieved by beneficiaries putting the seed capital to its intended use.  

Mr. Budraa said communities should take advantage of the infrastructure government has established in the District to improve their livelihood.

“Government does not distribute money the way politicians do, government opens a road and you use that road to take your produce to the market. Government puts a market, you take your produce to the market to get money in your pocket," he remarked.

Government has disbursed an equal amount of money, Shs100 million, to parish Saccos. Cumulatively, the parish revolving fund capitalization stands at Shs2.7 trillion out of which Shs2.3 trillion (85.37%) was disbursed to 2.3 million beneficiaries in the subsistence economy by March 2025.

Hon. Henry Orijabo, LC3 Chairperson Maracha Town Council, said the residents should improve their household income in order to provide quality education to their children.

The national celebrations were held in Nakapiripirit District where President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni was the guest of honor. President Museveni promised to improve the working conditions of workers through job creation, economic development, and reforming institutions that act as intermediaries between workers and employers who are complaining.