Busia District lacks chiefs to implement parish model

Implementation of the Parish Development Model in Busia District is likely to delay following failure by the authorities to recruit parish chiefs and create Saccos.

The programme was initiated by President Museveni to increase household income and help the economy attain a middle income status.

However, during a pre-launch meeting of the programme in Busia Town  on  February 17 that was attended by Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja,  it was discovered that there were no Saccos.

Ms Nabbanja said she was surprised that the district had neither recruited parish chiefs nor established Saccos at the parish levels.

“Chairman [LC5] and chief administrative officer (CAO), I want to know why you do not have Saccos at the various parishes when the President is due to launch this programme in about a week’s time?” Ms Nabanjja asked.

Mr Stephen Mugeni Wasike, the district chairperson, said they had not recruited parish chiefs because the term of office of the previous district service commission had expired when their recruitment process was due.

However, the CAO, Mr Joseph Balisanyuka , said they had established some Saccos at various parishes, but residents retorted that they were not there.

The district has 63 parishes distributed across its 20 sub-counties, but only 35 have chiefs, while the rest are vacant. This comes a week after the Public Service Commission wrote back to the district, informing them that Mr Deo Njoki, who they had suggested for the position of the district services chairperson, had been rejected.

Ms Nabbanja, who was flanked by several Cabinet and state ministers, ordered the district to source a service commission from either Tororo or Namayingo districts so that the parish chiefs are recruited and Saccos are constituted before the launch of the programme slated for Saturday in Kibuku District.

The prime minister also said each of the 63 parishes in Busia had received Shs17m, which is already on the district account. However, effective next financial year, Shs100m will be dispatched to each parish.

Ms Harriet Ntabazi, the State Minister for Trade and Cooperatives, said the parish development model does not only target the rural population, but also those in urban centres who have businesses that need capital.

Supplying inputs under OWC to be phased out

Mr Frank Tumwebaze, the Agriculture minister, said once the parish model is implemented, supplying inputs under the Operation Wealth Creation will be phased out because beneficiaries will get loans from their Saccos to buy quality agricultural inputs for their various enterprises.

He urged Busia residents  to take advantage of their location at the border with Kenya to produce more for the export market, which he said was available across the border.