Busoga below poverty levels - Kadaga

Cordial. (Left-Right), Vice president Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi, Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga and Former minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Daudi Migereko after the meeting with Busoga Consortium in Kampala, on June 14, 2019. PHOTO BY ALEX ESAGALA

What you need to know:

  • The 2016/17 Uganda National Household Survey data indicated that 74.8 per cent of people in Busoga Sub-region were considered poor and insecure against a national average of 63 per cent.

Kampala. The Speaker of Parliament, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, has told government that the people of Busoga Sub-region, whom she represents, have continued to live in poverty despite the endowments they receive.
Ms Kadaga made the remarks during a meeting of the Busoga consortium at Hotel Africana on Friday.
She said the sub-region has continued to register poor education grades, poor healthcare, and high levels of unemployment especially among the youth.

“We need your additional voice to Cabinet for the issues we have always raised as a sub-region. We need support especially on the poverty levels and education,” the Speaker told Mr Edward Ssekandi, the vice president, who represented government at the event.
Busoga sub-region is divided into 11 districts, 114 sub-counties and 648 parishes, four municipalities and 11 town councils.
In 2010, nine of these districts were invaded by jiggers and apart from the poor hygiene, many people blamed the jiggers on poverty.
Ms Kadaga also reminded government of its promise to improve tourism centres such as the Source of the Nile and factories that have since lost their glory.

Tourism data
Data from Uganda Tourism Board of 2018/19 indicated that Busoga receives 24 per cent of all tourists that visit Uganda. However, most of the tourist sites remain undeveloped.
Some of them include the Source of Nile, Kagulu Hill, Mpumuire/Mpumudde Hill and Kyando (Bishop Hannington site).
Mr Ssekandi pledged his support: “I will take all the issues that I have heard here. I have always been part of this gathering because I encouraged the Speaker to come up with this group because it will bring about development.”

2016/17 survey
Findings. The 2016/17 Uganda National Household Survey data indicated that 74.8 per cent of people in Busoga Sub-region were considered poor and insecure against a national average of 63 per cent.