Hits, misses in Busoga as Jinja hosts NRM anniversary

Jinja City will host this year’s National Resistance Movement (NRM) anniversary marking 38 years since its rebel outfit NRA led by Yoweri Museveni toppled President Tito Okello Lutwa. 

The last of such celebrations in the Busoga sub-region were held in Mayuge District in 2014 as the ruling party marked 28 years in power. Last year’s event was held in Kakumiro District.

This year’s celebrations, which will be held at Wakitaka Senior Secondary in Jinja North City Division on January 26, have got leaders of the 12 districts that make up the Busoga sub-region talking about the NRM’s gains and losses ahead of the fete.

Jinja City Mayor, Mr Peter Kasolo, who subscribes to the National Unity Platform (NUP), says it has become “tricky” for him as an opposition leader to highlight NRM’s achievements so far.

“But for the past three years I have been in office, I can see changes in the roads infrastructure development,” Mr Kasolo said in an interview, citing the New Nile Bridge as one of the “big achievements for the City”.

Mr Kasolo, however, says the ruling NRM government needs to extend a public University to Jinja City, transfer some ministries from Kampala to Jinja to reduce congestion, and also set up more industries in Jinja to create jobs.

The Iganga District Chairperson, Mr Ezra Gabula, thanked the NRM government for recognising People with Disabilities (PWDs), including himself, which he says has enabled him to lead a district and to extend electricity to 80 per cent of the villages in Iganga District.

Mr Gabula, however, asked President Museveni to expedite the transition process of turning Busoga University into a public University. “Although the arrangement is about 80 per cent complete, we want it reopened in the next academic year (August),’’ he said.

Busoga University’s licence was in 2017 revoked by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), which cited the institution’s alleged lack of qualified staff, teaching uncredited courses and awarding fake degrees to more than 1,000 students.

The University was later handed over to the Ministry of Education and Sports to expedite its reopening as a public institution following a directive by President Museveni in 2018.

Once it becomes operational, it will become the 11th public university after Fort Portal-based Mountains of Moon, which achieved the milestone on July 1, 2022.

A six-member task force management committee appointed last June to oversee the establishment of the institution said it would reopen last August.

Prof John Tabuti, who heads the committee, told Daily Monitor last April that there was “a high probability” that the University will reopen in the 2023/2024 academic year (August). However, this didn’t happen.

The Bugiri LC5 chairperson, Mr Davidson Mulumba, says 60 percent of his district is covered by energy which has reportedly helped the economy move to another level.

“Pupil and student enrolment in both private and public schools has increased because of the introduction of Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE), which has reduced illiteracy levels compared to other regimes,’’ he added.

Mr Mulumba, however, wants the government to elevate Bugiri Hospital to a Referral Hospital to accommodate the large number of patients.

Mr Mulumba says Bugiri Hospital is on an international trade route and serves the districts of Namayingo, Bugweri, Busia, Tororo, Butaleja and part of Mayuge.

He also wants the government to extend piped water to the Bugiri district, which currently stands at 20 per cent, to prevent diseases like bilharzia and cholera.

The Bugweri District Chairperson, Mr Shafiq Muziransa, says most essentials like health and education have been handled by the NRM government.

“Out of the eight Sub-counties in Bugweri District, only one (Mbulanku) lacks a seed secondary school, but we hope that in the next (2024/2024) financial year, it will be considered. Also, only two Health Centre IIs are yet to be upgraded to IIIs,’’ he said.

Mr Muziransa, however, asked the President to fulfill his pledge of working on the 57-kilometer road that links the three major roads that pass through Bugweri, including; Iganga-Mbale, Tororo-Iganga, and Musita-Majanji roads.

The Mayuge Vice Chairperson, Mr Peter Tasibula Nkwanga, appreciated the NRM government for granting Mayuge a district status in 2000, saying they currently have 142 government-aided primary schools which access UPE, while eight out of 12 Sub-counties have secondary government-aided.

Further still, he says they have Health Centres IIs in half of the 84 parishes, which are currently being upgraded to Health Centre IIIs.

“We have a tarmac road from Musita to Namayingo, we have UNRA road of Iganga, Mayuge, Bugadde to Bwondha, and there is some good infrastructure across all sectors, which has improved service delivery in the area,’’ he added.

Mr Nkwanga, however, says the NRM government should address the issue of infrastructure and staff in primary schools, whose classroom-teacher ratio he says is very low.

The Namayingo District chairperson, Mr Ronald Sanya, has hailed the NRM government for giving them a ferry which connects the mainland to the island, adding that the government promised a second ferry which has not yet materialised.

He urged the NRM government to provide processing facilities to resources in Busoga Sub-region.

“We grow a lot of cassava, but it is exported to Kenya in raw form and its products are brought back to Uganda and bought expensively yet we can add value to it for animal feeds, pharmaceuticals, and chalks among others,’’ he said.

The Kaliro LCV chairperson, Mr Elijah Dhikusoka Kagoda, says NRM achievements in the district include the construction of seed schools in every Sub-county, upgrading of Health Centre IIs to IIIs, extension of clean (piped) water, construction of Sub-county administration block, roads, and bridges among others.

Mr Kagoda, however, says residents are still demanding for a technical college, government hospital, completion of the district administrative block, juice factory and operationalisation of Kaliro National Teachers’ College as a constituency college of Busitema University.

The Namutumba District Chairperson, Mr David Mukisa, says: “The NRM government has tarmacked most of the roads in the area, upgraded Health Centre IIs to IIIs, water access, constructed seed schools like Nabweyo and Namutumba Seed School.’’

Mr Mukisa now urges the government to construct schools and hospital staff quarters to facilitate service delivery, expedite construction of Namutumba-Kasimuzi-Kigalama-Buwola-Butaleja-Mbale road, and also start paying all 629 Village chairpersons, saying only 300 Village chairpersons are getting a monthly salary of Shs10,000.

The Luuka District Chairperson, Mr Simon Wakaze, has hailed the NRM government for security but wants it to tarmac Walugogo-Luuka-Kamuli road.

Mr Wakaze says schools in Luuka District are in a bad state because most of the pupils are studying under tree shades due to inadequate classrooms. Some of the schools he cited include; Bugambo, Bunaku and Nawaka Primary Schools.

Subsequently, he says many children, especially girls, have dropped out of school due to poor sanitation, but largely due to lack of toilets.

Mr Wakaze also wants the government to construct more health centres in the district to improve service delivery.

“We have one Health Centre IV yet Luuka is surrounded by many Districts. We need two Health Centre IVs in Luuka North and South and a district Hospital,” he suggested.

In Buyende, the district Vice Chairperson, Ms Scholastica Naadhomi Magana, said they appreciate the government for granting them a district status, which has now made them an independent entity and been able to get many things they were lacking.

“We are getting our package and have been able to construct our schools, roads and boreholes; however, the government should tarmac the three roads it promised, which include; Kamuli-Bukungu, Kamuli-Iyingo, and Nabirumba via Buyende district to Kidera.

These roads, she says, are in a poor state which affects service delivery. “Although we received Shs1b in the Road Fund, it is not enough,’’ she said.

She further urged the government to complete the ice plant in Bukungu Island which has stalled for over ten years, so that fishermen can preserve their fish.

She also asks the government to set up a technical school in Buyende, saying the District doesn’t have any.

The Kamuli LC5 Chairperson, Mr Maxwell Kuwembula, says the Shs1b Road Fund which was sent to the district for road maintenance was a shot in the arm but appeals for an increment. “It is the same amount as municipalities yet Districts have many kilometres, including swamps.”

Mr Kuwembula says scaling up the Road Fund will help Parish Development Model (PDM) beneficiaries access markets for their products.

Mr Kuwembula further wants the President to lift the ban on recruitment of staff because it has affected service delivery.

“Staff are dying, resigning, promoted, sick which has caused a human resource gap; we have Health Centre IIs which were elevated to Health Centre IIIs but staff have not been beefed up to improve on service delivery,’’ he said.

At the commencement of the 2023/24 financial year, the Ministry of Finance issued a circular, stating that there would be no staff recruitment of new public servants, pending a total clean-up of the payroll. 

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