COMMUNITY ACTIONS TO PREVENT AND MANAGE CONFLICTS TAKES ROOT IN KAMWENGE

KALI staff 2nd from left after project planning meeting at RWECO office.

KALI in partnership with RWECO and HIVOS are jointly implementing a project on community actions to prevent and manage conflicts and human rights violations in Kamwenge District of Rwenzori region. The project is funded by European Union. KALI is implementing this project in Kamwenge District in the sub counties of; NKOMA, NYABANI, BUSIRIBA, KAHUNGE AND NTARA.  

The project:  

The project on community action to prevent and manage conflicts and human rights violations was designed as a result of the unending conflicts that have ravaged the Rwenzori region since the pre-colonial to post-colonial era. As far as back in 1921, conflicts had emerged in the Rwenzori region due to resistance of some citizen for social, political and economic reasons

PROJECT NAME:  EIDHR/2015/371-627-Community Action to Prevent and Manage Conflict and Human Rights Violations in Rwenzori region of Uganda

 Project Code: Hub EA 1013039

Overall Project objective. To facilitate actions to ensure an increased and coordinated involvement of well-informed citizens to prevent and manage conflicts, monitor and take action to improve the human rights situations in Uganda.

Processes.

2016,The project started with planning meetings at KALI & RWECO level, later, an inception meeting with EU,HIVOS and RWECO partners in which KALI participated. After the inception meeting, number of activities have been carried out among them;

1.   Mapping out CBOs (3 women & 3 youth/6 groups assessed & selected) 03 sub counties out of the five selected sub counties that will be engaged during the project period are finished.

Above a group leader of Busiriba Mordern performers women's group sharing their profile with KALI field team.

 Evidence of one of the three youth groups selected so far selected.

2.   Sharing project deliverables with key sub county leaders of (3) three sub counties of; Busiriba,Ntara and Nyabani out of the five project areas.

 KALI staff on the left, sharing project deliverable with leaders of Busiriba sub county.

 At sub county level,the three sub counties so far reached have identified conflict triggers as mainly, fighting for Land especially family owned, Inheritance of property by relatives of the deceased,encroachment on natural resources like wetlands,problem animals from Kibale national park to neighboring communities. most community development officers identified lack of facilitation to follow up cases at community level as a big constraint leading to delayed conflict prevention & mediation leading to conflicts.

3.   District Inception meeting with key district leaders.

Objectives of the meeting.

1.   To share project deliverables & strategies that will be employed during project implementation. 

2.   To orient and familiarize with key district leaders (CAO, RDC, District SCDO, DPC, District Probation Officer C/Man LC 5, DHO, DEO), Map out conflict triggers in Kamwenge prior to implementation. 

3.      To commission the project and officially ask for district leader’s blessing to allow KALI implement the project in Kamwenge district.

The district inception meeting was attended by all key district leaders who included; the Resident district commissioner/RDC,CAO,C/Man LC.V, the DHO,DEO,DPC, District Probation officer, District CDO, secretary for social services, Principle assistant secretary/PAS, KALI Board member and staff.

The district leaders appreciated the project approach of community led actions to conflict resolution in the district. The RDC and other top district leaders committed there availability whenever the project team needs their support and input.

At district level,

Issues of delays in the legal processes due to huge case backlog and procedures in the courts of law are part of the conflict triggers in Kamwenge,

Reluctance of Local council structures (LC.I to LC.III) in addition, LC.I leaders have not been officially elected for many years and this affects community processes of local council one courts due to lack of legal respect in most villages,

High poverty levels to most households affects follow up of cases in Kamwenge communities hence leading to conflicts. 

during deliberations, the CAO highlighted that some conflicts are at institutional level where in this case, primary schools or health centers may not have enough latrine stance ratio/facilities. yet government has no funds to support as required. he recommended that KALI could put this into her future considerations.

   

The district meeting was chaired by the CAO,Opened by the C/man LC.V and The RDC made closing remarks. They all pledged for total support to the project whenever reached and informed. This project was officially commissioned by the RDC during this highly place meeting in Kamwenge on Monday 11th July 2016.

Compiled by;

Geoffrey Project Assistant -KALI Kamwenge Office.

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