Senior cadre expresses frustration over neglect of experienced historical members despite decades of service and professional development

By Our Staff Reporter

Kampala, Uganda — August 30, 2026
Dr. Sam Watulatsu, a long-serving National Resistance Movement (NRM) cadre, development practitioner and institutional governance specialist, has raised concerns over what he describes as the continued underutilisation of experienced and historically committed cadres within government service.

Dr. Watulatsu’s association with the Movement dates back decades. Before joining Makerere University, he underwent political and ideological training at the National School of Political Education, where he completed the Basic/Advanced Cadre Development Course. A certificate presented in support of his account Certificate No. 05821, dated October 26, 1991 confirms his completion of the training under the name Watulatsu Samuel.

Despite this early ideological grounding and his later academic and professional achievements, Dr. Watulatsu says he has never been meaningfully deployed by government in a role matching his experience and qualifications.

Over the years, he has instead channeled much of his energy into grassroots development through FDNC, an NGO he founded to uplift disadvantaged communities. His work has focused especially on vulnerable populations, including initiatives creating educational opportunities for orphans and disadvantaged children.

He holds a PhD in Institutional Governance and is a Ford Fellow credentials he believes could be better applied in public administration, diplomacy, governance, community transformation and international development.

His concerns extend beyond his own circumstances. He is calling on the NRM and government to establish clearer systems for identifying, mentoring and deploying long-serving cadres who combine historical institutional knowledge with modern professional expertise.

Dr. Watulatsu recalls personally interacting with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on several occasions, including during a presidential visit to a school he established for vulnerable children. He also recalls a separate interaction linked to his work with a cultural institution, during which the possibility of his deployment to Foreign Affairs was reportedly discussed.


He is now appealing to the President to revisit that discussion and consider deploying him to an area reflecting his professional strengths.

“My appeal is not simply about getting a government position. I have spent many years working with communities and building institutions. I respectfully request H.E. the President to consider deploying me where my experience in governance, international development, diplomacy and community transformation can best contribute to Uganda.”

Dr. Watulatsu says the issue deserves wider attention, warning that failure to utilise experienced cadres can breed frustration and a sense of unfairness among those who have devoted decades to the Movement and their communities.

He is calling for greater transparency, fairness and merit in the deployment of historical and senior cadres — while reaffirming his continued commitment to Uganda’s development