Buvuma leaders accuse OWC of giving cows to non-locals
A truck loaded with OWC cows at Kirongo playground in Bususamuzi Sub-county, Buvuma District, last year. The programme is aimed at improving agriculture and people’s incomes in the country. FILE PHOTO
Buvuma- Local leaders in Buvuma District have accused Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) officials of distributing heifers (cows) to non residents.
They claim that on several occasions, officials have presented a different list of beneficiaries from that which they were given.
Mr Charles Aisu, the chairperson of Busamuzi Sub-county, cited a July 23 incident where 36 cows were delivered at the district headquarters, but the names of beneficiaries from the area which OWC officials read were non-residents.
“They [OWC officials] told us to screen our people and train them on how to cater for high grade in-calf heifers. After putting everything in place, we sent names of registered residents to OWC officials, but we were surprised when the names of people they read from my sub-county were not known. When I complained, they refused to listen to me,” Mr Aisu said at the weekend.
He said many registered residents spent a lot of money to construct kraals and plant grass, hoping to get the heifers but they have now incurred losses.
Disappointed
Mr Sebastian Okwale, the mayor of Buvuma Town Council, said a final list of names of beneficiaries is prepared early and wondered why their names are replaced with those of other people they do not know.
“This is not the first time they [OWC officials] are doing that. When they were distributing other items such as coffee seedlings and fingerlings (young fish), they included names of people we do not know,” Mr Okwale said.
Mr Hussein Damuzungu Ngobi, a youth councillor in Busamuzi Sub-county, urged Gen Salim Saleh, the OWC coordinator, to withdraw the soldiers manning the project in the island.
However, Maj David Kanyike, the officer-in-charge of OWC in the district, said all the 36 heifers were evenly distributed as planned.
“We got 36 heifers and 16 of them were given to the youth as the President pledged. We remained with only 20 heifers and we supplied them to farmers in nine sub-counties,” Maj Kanyike said.
He dismissed claims that his team took away some of the heifers.
“The cows they saw on the truck being taken back to the main land were for other islands. The easiest way to access for example; Bweema and Lwajje, is to go through Ssenyi landing Site in Buikwe District or Katosi which is in Mukono. Whoever doubts that, should come to my office and see the full list of those who benefited,” Maj Kanyike said.
Maj Tabaro Kiconco, the OWC spokesperson, said some residents could have missed out because their leaders included many names on the list. “The problem we usually face is that those local leaders include many names on the list. For example, one sub-county can submit a list of 60 beneficiaries yet the district received 20 heifers,” Maj Kiconco said.
He also defended the decision by OWC officials to give heifers to civil servants at the district, saying they are entitled to get OWC items like other Ugandans.
“There is no law that bars technocrats from benefiting from OWC, they cannot be isolated and I am informed that two of them got heifers in Buvuma,’’ he said.
Maj Kiconco appealed to local leaders to remain calm, saying residents who registered, but did not get heifers will be considered soon.
