Leaders of Rwentuha Sub County in  Kyegegwa District give accountability

On 18^th July 2015 Mr. Rutesire Peter the chairperson LC 111 of Rwentuha Sub County in Kyegegwa district said the good cooperation between the sub county and the district administration has yielded much to the benefit of people in Rwentuha Sub County. Rwentuha Sub County was separated from Mpara Sub County in 2011. Before we were separated from Mpara Sub County, we could hear of roads & other government development programs like NAADS. In the last four years, our main focus has been on constructing roads because we wanted to help our farmers’ access markets for their produce.

When we entered office, we managed to open up Kazinga 111-Rusayumbe road, Rwentuha –Kyesombire road, Kahungura- Kyesombire road and other roads that connect a parish to another. We have secured funds to muram Kyeriso-Kikyempale & Namba-Kyankunyule roads this financial year and we are grateful to the district because they have taken over Kyarujumba-Kyesombire road and it will be worked on this financial year 2015/16.

 Mr. Rutesire said this while appearing on the ToroDev supported ‘Orukurato program’ that is aired every Saturday 8:00pm-10:00pm on HITS FM, a local radio station in fort portal, Kabarole district.

‘’We found the sub county with only 3 primary schools when we came in office and these schools we in a sorry state but our good cooperation between our sub county and the central government has yielded to the construction of more 3 primary schools making a total of 6 primary schools and 3 secondary schools  as we talk now, & this has helped in improving the education standards in our sub county ’’, said Mr. Rutesire.

Mr. Rutesire said, there are 3 parishes that make up the sub county and in terms of safe water coverage, Migamba is at 60%, Rutaraka 70% & Nganji 55%. Much as we talk of these percentages, more needs to be done because our people in some villages still have challenges when it comes to water services. We pledge our commitment to the water sector this financial year 2015/16 to improve the conditions of our people.

During the two hours live radio discussion, Mr. Kayondo Geoffrey the sub county chief of Rwentuha Sub County in Kyegegwa district said Rwentuha is a food basket for Kyegegwa & other districts where farmers grow food crops, cash crops and rear animals. ’’As a sub county, we have for the last 3 years supplied 25 million coffee seedlings to farmers, 10 tons of beans, 25 tons of maize & 94 heifers to different beneficiaries under the Luwero Ruwenzori & Wealth creation campaign programs’’, said Mr. Kayondo Geoffrey.

Mr. Kayondo said there are challenges that come along with these initiatives but as a sub county we are doing our best to see that we develop our sub county. People are appreciating the work being done in our 3 health centers and we aim at improving the health standards in our sub county. As a sub county, we are constructing the sub county headquarters and we are at roofing level, we plan to engage the district leadership & lobby through our Members of parliament in order to advocate for value addition produce so that our farmers can earn much and also market women groups to increase house hold income levels for our people.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kasweta John  the Hakibale concerned citizens advocacy forum that was initiated with support from ToroDev in 2011 to advocate for  better services and demand for accountability from leaders said the wealth creation program is now on ground unlike the old NAADS where 80% of funds used to do training's, seminars & workshops and only 20% could reach farmers. Mr. Kasweta requested the government to increase the budget for agriculture to 100% because it is the backbone of our economy and a source of employment to the youth, he also requested for the sensitization of the farmers on pests and diseases so as to have it controlled in order to increase their production.

During the discussion, callers were given time to participate through call-ins & sms; ‘’ we thank ToroDev for supporting the forum & we credit the efforts of the forum for the 90 first grades got in PLE last year in our sub county’’, said Mugisa Moses, a caller from Hakibale in Kabarole district, ‘’our leaders are not giving their plans on the disabled people, are they part of their plans?’’, asked Tumwebaze from Kyegegwa district, ‘’ we people of Kigoro -Kasese have never seen the new NAADS, are we part of it or not?’’, asked Rose a caller from Kigoro, Kasese district, ‘’Bagarami road is in poor state, what plans do our leaders have on that issue?’’, asked Jane, a caller from Rwentuha, Kyegegwa district, ‘’ we need education conferences in our sub county so as to devise ways of improving the education standards of our children’’, said Tumuramya a caller from Rwentuha, Kyegegwa district.

 The program was moderated by Mr. Kasigazi William Donanto  and is supported by ToroDev in partnership with NED, DRT, SIDA, SPIDER & ICT4DEM