Open Up Saccos

World over, the fight against poverty has no documented formula, but its the duty of government to ensure that its citizens can live an affordable life. that’s why diagnostics based on real economics are done and programs to eradicate poverty are developed.

The Government of Uganda embarked on a Parish Development Model sensitization exercise a bottom-up approach to budgeting, aimed at moving national development planning to the grassroots.

Article 176 of Uganda’s constitution provides for decentralisation “to ensure people’s participation and democratic control in decision making”. Uganda’s Local Government Act recognises two types of administrative units at sub-county level: parishes and villages. Uganda has a total of 10,694 parishes, each with a population size ranging from 450 to 30,000 people.

Here the 1stDPM|Minister for East African Community Affairs Uganda, Rt.Hon|Dr. Alitwala Rebecca Kadaga is on a 3 days sensitization tour in Busoga Region on a Parish Development Model sensitisation exercise in Buyende District to ensure that people in Busoga Region at the lowest administrative levels to identify and assign resources for their own social needs, development can tilt in favour of the poor.

The woman Member of Parliament for Kamuli district warned district officers particularly Parish Development Model assigned district officers on bribe and not to force people into enterprises that they don’t belong to. She emphasized on transparency during the exercise, monitoring and full accountability of funds allocated per parish.

The Tractor

In the Busoga region of Uganda close to half of the population are engaged in subsistence farming. Families traditionally use their land to grow food for their own consumption and for cash crops such as coffee, Rice, Maize, Cassava, Groundnuts, Soya beans, Cotton and Millet.

However, since the 1990’s commercial sugarcane production expanded and the area now has 11 sugar manufacturers, the largest of which produces more than 50% of the countries sugar. Costs of farming hard gone high in Irundu Town Council, Buyende district because the tractor they had previously had broken down, when the town council executives approached the 1stDPM, promised to lobby for the farmers in Irundu Town Council a new tractor.

It was all joy and chants from the gathering as Rt.Hon|Dr. Alitwala Rebecca Kadaga -MP fulfilled her promise and handed over the tractor to ease work for the farmers in the Buyende.

The two years lockdown affected everyone and every sector. Therefore, 1stDPM|Minister for East African Community Affairs Uganda and Woman Member of Parliament for Kamuli district, reminded the gathering that COVID19 is still with us and they shouldn’t be reluctant in observing the SOPs as put in place earlier on by Ministry of Health.

She encouraged the people to always not be reluctant on wearing masks, always sanitise, wash their hands and always maintain social distance.