ToroDev held 2 days induction of Ntoroko district councilors.

As part of the post-election agenda 2016, ToroDev on 10^th & 11^th November, 2016 held an induction of district councilors from Ntoroko district in Rwenzori sub region. The induction was aimed at strengthening the capacity of councilors in the district to effectively play their role of representation and legislation aimed at improving priority service delivery in the Rwenzori sub-region within the next 5 years. The induction was reached after holding several engagements & consultative meetings with the district speaker & clerk to councils to ascertain the gaps faced by councilors while playing their legislative roles.

Mr. Orono Francis a facilitator from LGCG during the training

The 2 days induction was attended by 24 district councilors from the 6 sub counties & 4 town councils in the district. The topics covered included; Decentralization, council rules of procedure, roles of councilors, the role of ICT in improving service delivery, local government planning & budgeting, conflict management, legal drafting, ordinance/bye laws formulation, communication skills, lobbying & advocacy and development & management of PPP. The induction was facilitated by Mr. Orono Francis & Mr. Birungi Norman from Local Government Consulting Group (LGCG) a consultancy firm which is an arm of Uganda Local Government Association (ULGA). It is expected that the induction would encourage female councilors to actively participate during council proceedings from 20% to at least 70% in two years after the training.

Participants listening to the presentation during the induction in Ntoroko district

‘’I thank ToroDev for thinking about about us because since we were elected, we have never had such an induction and really it has come at the right time when we needed it. I call upon Honorable members to take keen interest to acquire the skills because given the concept & topics shown they are much more relevant to our work, I also urge you to disseminate information to the citizens using the available ICT tools like radios, phones, social media platforms like facebook, twitter, whatsapp to give and receive information from citizens’’, said Hon. Muthahinga Ben, the district vice chairperson & councilor representing Karugutu sub county.

The district vice chairperson Mr. Muthahinga Ben opening the 2 days induction at Kibuuku district council hall

  ‘’It has been a habit of male councilors to dominate women & youth councilors while debating on service delivery issues during council sessions, something we want to see changing in the near future, we hope the induction will motivate many women & youth leaders to effectively lobby for the development of their areas given the skills & knowledge imparted in them’’, said David Kugonza Documentation & Communications officer, ToroDev.

As an organization after the induction, there are changes we need to see that include; councilors especially youth & female capable and regularly using online platforms to communicate, access government information like budget releases  & lobbying for their communities from 20% to 70% in 1-3 years, improved councilors’ knowledge, skills and understanding of local government processes, council proceedings etc from 40% to at least 70% in 1-3 years, we want to see well streamlined council roles and responsibilities, well aligned with Uganda’s National Development Plan II and Vision 2040, we want to see councilors with expertise in financial & budget analysis kills, lobbying & advocacy who provide political direction, financial planning, and management, and exercise their legislative  or policy making authority appropriately, councilors capable of engaging citizens in identifying their priority service delivery needs and giving feedback on how such expressed needs have been reflected in sub-county, district and national planning & budgeting processes, improved Lobbying   and advocacy skills on service delivery programs, increased capacity & linkage of youth & women councilors debating on service delivery issues & policy decisions affecting their communities from 45% to at least 75% in 1-3 years, increased number of women councilors participating and actively debating in council sessions/proceedings without leaving male councilors to dominate council meetings from 20% to at least 40% in 1-3 years, improved  local councils’ capacity to conduct council business, improving performance and service delivery.

‘’Iam grate to ToroDev for such a wonderful training, being a former district speaker I actually thought I knew much but I have come to realize that I have been missing a lot especially on planning & budgeting, having a right to debate in my local language something that has been hindering many councilors especially female to debate, formulation of ordinances & bye laws, etc. We have many problems as councilors but when we get such capacity building trainings, we also change in the way we have been doing things, iam sure even those who have not been active during council proceedings will now be very active because we had the best ever training & facilitator’’, said Jane Kemigisa woman councilor representing Bweramule sub county & Kibuuku town council.

Some of the participants after the 2 days induction training

We thank a lot our development partners SIDA, NED, SPIDER, ICT4DEM, CIPESA and Ntoroko district local government for the financial, technical & cooperation to improve service delivery in communities.