Govt to revamp forgotten Greater Luweero 37 years later

As the government rolls out multiple programmes meant to transform the welfare of the citizens, a plan to fast- track pending infrastructure development projects for the Greater Luweero area is underway.

The plan, according to the State Minister for Luweero Triangle, Ms Alice Kaboyo is already under execution where the government is currently engaging the leadership in the districts of Luweero, Nakaseke and Nakasongola for a database on particular infrastructure projects on the directive of President Museveni.

“President Museveni has directed that we get a database for parishes that lack particular infrastructure, including gaps in schools and health sector and the road infrastructure. This should be done at the earliest time possible,” Mr Kaboyo said on Monday.

“We need a conclusive report on the pending projects, including the challenges that will inform the different government intervention. The country is being mobilized into the money economy, an opportunity that the people of Luweero must embrace. But it is also true that Luweero may have missed out on many infrastructure development programmes earlier allocated to several other regions. These are the ideas that we should be discussing through team work. It is true that some of our leaders in the Greater Luweero could have messed up the opportunity to have Luweero uplifted but all is not lost. President Museveni wants a better Luweero,” the Minister emphasized.

Greater Luweero was the epicenter of the five-year guerrilla war(between 1981 and 1986) that ushered Mr Museveni ’s government to power in 1986 but  the Opposition politicians have always slammed the government for neglecting the area in the last 37 years it has been in power.

Pending bush war veteran payments
While the government has in the past 15 years made a deliberate effort to clear the bush war veteran compensation and gratuity, the plan was messed up at some point. Government says it has embarked on a final plan to pay the veterans, including the beneficiary families.

“This time the payment mode will have a scrutiny of the beneficiaries to throw out the imposters. We have had a challenge from imposters but this will be handled,”Ms  Kaboyo revealed.

Leaders respond
Mr Emmy Ssemugabi, the former Luweero Sub County chairperson, while welcoming the proposed new intervention plan, believes that the interventions should consider a wider consultative approach to avoid past mistakes that benefited individuals and not the targeted communities.

“It is good the ruling NRM government has realized that Greater Luweero, the ‘cradle’ land, deserves a better cake. While this is long overdue, the fact that the President himself is concerned about Luweero brings hope to the new plans to boost infrastructure development here. We need to embrace unity and work as a team,” he says. 

Mr Erasto Kibirango, the Luweero District chairperson told this publication on May 28 that the best approach to ensure infrastructure development is the involvement of the leadership at the different local government levels, including the Local Council officials.

“We are looking at a district that has very few accomplished government projects, including the district headquarters and hospital that are under construction. I am yet to be fully briefed on the new plan but it sounds like a good idea,” he said.
But Luweero District NRM party chairperson, Mr Ronald Ndawula, said ope is not lost for Luweero. 

“The new proposals for fast- tracking of the pending projects are real and can be executed by the government. We have roads that are in sorry state. There are many projects that were pledged by government officials, including President Museveni but are yet to be fulfilled,” he said.

The pending projects
President Museveni pledged to have the Zirobwe-Wobulenzi Road, Katikamu- Nakaseke –Zirobwe roads upgraded but this is yet to happen.
Construction of the district headquarter block is another pending project while the fruit processing plant promised to the mangoes and pineapple growers is yet to be set up.