Nasasira bows out, gives back a third of his pension
Mr John Nasasira (2nd R) and wife greet religious leaders during the thanks giving ceremony in Kazo Town Council at the weekend. PHOTO BY ALFRED TUMUSHABE.
What you need to know:
Quit elective politics. Mr Nasasira, who has been the Kazo Constituency MP since 1989, early last year announced he would retire from elective politics.
KIRUHURA. Information and Communication Technology minister John Nasasira at the weekend announced his retirement from elective politics, committing one third of his pension as MP for Kazo Constituency to a fund.
At a function organised to bid him farewell in Kazo Town Council, the minister launched Kazo And Nasasira (KAN) foundation to which he committed Shs100m to facilitate and support access to safe water, e-learning and commercialisation of agriculture in a constituency he has represented since 1989.
“You kept me in Parliament for all these years and my pension has grown to more than Shs300m. I commit a third of it (Shs100m) to a foundation,” he said.
The water challenge
Mr Nasasira said while national safe water coverage is at 65 per cent, it is only at 20 per cent in Kiruhura District, explaining that two out of every 10 people drink dirty water and majority share with animals at wells and dams.
The foundation, among other things, will facilitate drilling boreholes and teach as well as empowering people to tap rain water for household use.
A community radio named ‘Radio KAN FM’ will be started to educate people on development.
Mr Nasasira also said he will use his friends and contacts in and outside the country to support KAN ac tivities, and to grow its capacity.
Together with his wife Naome, Mr Nasasira thanked the people of Kazo for supporting them.
“I want to thank you for not sending me away through the ballot box. What I know is that nobody in Parliament has a better record (of support) than mine. Go to Electoral Commission and ask if there is any MP who has a record as that of Nasasira. But really there is nothing that cannot end, you can do other things when you are not an MP,” Mr Nasasira told a gathering comprising political, religious and opinion leaders and elders from across the eight sub-counties that form Kazo.
He handed to his successor, Mr Gordon Bafaki, a spear and stool as symbols of power and leadership, and said he would continue to mentor new leaders.
For 15 years, he served as Works minister, before he was transfered to ICT ministry in 2013.
