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| CAO Kamwenge District Mr Muhenda Rujumba responding to the issues raised in the council |
On 30/4/1203, KALI was invited to attend a district council meeting as a follow up of the exposure visit on SNE from Kasese district.
Findings/Observations: A report on social services standing committee was presented to district council by the Committee Chairperson Honourable Kamiri Anthony. The social services comprised of Education, Health and Community Based Services departments.
Under Education and Community Based Services Department/Sector as KALI’s area of concern, the following were noted:
Education Sector
Achievements for FY 2012/2013
· The District Service Commission has recruited 30 teachers for UPE including SNE programme for the declared vacancies to beef up the ceiling gap;
· 200 hundred teachers have been compiled for confirmation
· Conducted stakeholders meeting in all sub counties in the district targeting all teachers, head teachers, Sub county chiefs, Parish chiefs, LCCIII chairpersons, SMCs, and PTAs
· Received inspection grant of 7,039,000/= (Reading Seven million thirty nine thousand shillings only);
· Received SFG 124,375,913 which gives a total of 465,990,913/= for the three quarters and yet they expected 547,092,000 by the end of 3rd quarter.
· Received UPE 187,118,000/= and USE 309,433,000/= deposited directly on school accounts;
· Construction of teachers’ houses has began at Kyehemba, Mirembe K and Mwora B
· An education Ordinance has been compiled to tackle some of the issues affecting academic performance in Kamwenge district and it is with the Attorney General for corrections and put into ordinance supplementary legal language,
Challenges noted:
· Many teachers were deleted from pay roll and this has affected the teaching and learning process in the schools;
· Conditional grants like SFG are dwindling
· UPE releases come late and inadequate
· Dropout rate is still high,
Specific recommendation
Meetings should be held at sub counties to enact byelaws to address problem of poor performance and low completion rates in schools.
Community Based Services department
The department is comprised of Community development, with components like youth, women, PWDs elderly, culture, labour, probation and social welfare.
Observations made: Women councils had spent a long time without holding council meeting due to lack of funds.
Hon. Ngazoire David asked the heads of departments why the international day for PWDs is not celebrated in Kamwenge district and his concern was noted.
Challenges:
· Insufficient funds to carry out planned activities;
· Insufficient funds for youth, women and PWDs councils.
· Limited funding to train or orient women leaders
Verbative Quotes from Honourable District Councilors
For PWDs Mr. Ngazoire David
On Education-SNE report
As we were in Kasese District for Exposure visit, the visiting team has briefed and told council how the journey was successful and a lot is admired from Kasese District on SNE. The council has agreed to lay the issues on SNE and recommendations from the learning event in the next council sit scheduled in June, 2013.
On Works Department: Roads
Hon Ngazoire David: The culverts on Kabuga road and pavement are very high for PWDs using wheel chairs to climb over. He asked the council to intervene into the poor work man ship of the works department. He tasked the CAO to explain why roads are in bad state yet we have the Road unit equipment from Kampala.
The council asked CAO if there is an engineer specifically for Works-roads.
Honourable members asked that there is parity in road maintenance allocation/schedule where they said that the grader is more in Kitagwenda county than in Kibale county.
It was from this argument that the council asked the CAO to compile a detailed status report on the works department in the district.
Hon Councilor for Nyabbani S/C:
Nganiko road in Nyabbani Sub County should be pot filled with murram as they wait for the grader to come. The lorry tippers should be used to ferry murram to enable farmers, traders to access the market.
Hon Councilor for Buhanda S/C Mr. Ngabirano: Why are our roads in Buhanda S/C not worked on? Are we not part of the district? The district has failed to maintain the 1.5km road.
On Community Based Services:
Hon Ngazoire told council that the budget for PWDs is not clear in the budget and the International day is not budgeted for, why?
He was invited to preside over a function for PWDs at Kyamingo Primary school but he did not have a budget where to get the money for the activity.
Responses from CAO
The CAO responded as follow: There is a full constituted Works Committee chaired by Hon. MP Dorothy Nsaija. Therefore, the secretary for works should liaise with the MPs so that there is equal parity of resource utilsation in both counties of Kibale and Kitagwenda.
The CAO told the council to have a symbiotic relationship with the office of LCV, CAO and the works department in order to foster development in the district.
The water engineer doubles as works engineer so there is shortage of staff in the works department. And the current water engineer is a diploma holder.
Force on Account is being used to open community access roads
Lesson learnt
· The CAO’s office is always open to everyone to share information and all the reports in regard to the development of the district than waiting for the council sitting and is when you report an issue or concern and yet the issue needed an urgent attention by the relevant person. This is not communication but accusation which should be avoided in future.
· The CAO apologized to Hon Ngazoire David about the poor road conditions.
· The Council has got oversight roles where they should monitor and oversee the activities done in their respective sub counties. So joint monitoring was emphasized despite the lack of monitoring funds.
· The district council has held two Council sittings without getting their sitting and transport allowances. This is because they cannot wait until they have the money to sit. They have got their district at heart.
· The Kamwenge District- Production sector-NAADS has compiled an ordinance on Food Security and Banana Bacteria Wilt (BBW) to in order to boost the food production in the district. The ordinances have been taken to the Attorney General for legal implications/consultations so that they are legally bound.
Radio Talk show programme
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| Radio talk show on voice of Kamwenge |
At 800-900pm prime time, KALI hosted the LC V Vice chairperson, District Speaker and a Chairperson for Social Services on Voice of Kamwenge Fm Radio.
The purpose of the talk show was to make the listeners the community to hear what council has resolved on during the council proceedings.
Most of the issues rotated on the Social Services and Works department. The panelists deliberated well as the callers in expected.
Question and Answer Session (Q&A)
The listeners send in their messages on the VOK which some were extracted as:
VOK-Godwin, We have people who don’t know their councilors’ faces yet they elected them. Is it good and professional? Am Dr. Smart Sindani Enock from Nyakahama 2016 Councilor.
VOK-Godwin, Nimbasiima ahabwaporoguramu ejo, Abebembezi na presenter nibebare kukora omuhanda Kamwenge- Kabuga-Mpamga road, nkonkashi kagwarara hatakamazire kabiri? nari kabatatiremu emifuregye yamizi? Ninye Ntirenganya Philip wa Kamwokya Nyakahama.
VOK, Supplementary budget is for what? From Atweni Sovio.
VOK, CAO should form a committee to investigate the matter between Maranatha and the maize factory.
Six (6) people called in as Messrs Adebayor from Ishongororo Town Council, Pastor Kabagambe from Nyabikamba, Bajuruzi Boda boda from Bunyaruguru, Vicent Kinyoli from Kamwokya, Atweni Sovio and Stephen Mwebaze from Kabuye, their issue was about Community Access Roads in their respective places.
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