ToroDev
with support from National Endowment for Democracy & the Swedish Program
for ICT in Developing Regions (SPIDER) supported the initiation of the Rwenzori
Journalists’ Forum in 2012. This broadcast and print media forum has been,
since two years, re-organizing itself to become a viable, relevant and
independent institution to champion the voices of local citizens in the
Rwenzori region. Also to note is that, ToroDev,
in partnership with Rwenzori Journalist Forum (RJF) ToroDev has also been
training radio journalists selected from the 13 FM radio stations based and
broadcasting in seven districts of the region on promoting public
accountability for improved service delivery broadcasting.
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| Members of Rwenzori Journalist Forum during the Press Conference |
Moreover,
with support from SIDA and the ICT4Democracy Network in East Africa, ToroDev
visited Northern Uganda Media Club (NUMEC) and were able to learn some of the
initiatives NUMEC uses to improve knowledge and information sharing for
development. NUMEC conducts regular press conferences at regular intervals
attended mostly by local leaders to give accountability and this has proved
successful in ensuring good governance through proper accountability at regular
intervals. ToroDev has also decided to borrow a leaf and initiate a monthly
press conference for this region. It will be attended by local and central
government leaders (Ministers, MPs, LCV’s Councilors, LCIII’s, Technocrats,
etc) and local citizens for giving updates and receiving accountability for
improved service delivery, respectively.
ToroDev,
in partnership with Rwenzori Journalist Forum (RJF), have the pleasure to
launch this Regional Monthly Press Conference Initiative now, June 26th 2014,
to improve service delivery through advocacy and promoting timely
accountability in the seven (7) districts of the Rwenzori Region. This press
conference will be held on a monthly basis. Leaders at all levels and leaders
are all invited to attend every month on a specific date that we shall be
announcing. Today, we have held this maiden event here at ToroDev Offices at
Plot 46 Mugurusi Road. In future as demand may arise, we might change the venue
of this monthly event and communications on radio and other channels would be
made in due course.
Today
also, we have a great opportunity to launch the Tracfm Polling Initiative in
partnership with Tracfm, a non-profit ICT for Development Organisation based in
Kampala and The Netherlands. This initiative will allow local citizens to
interact with their leaders on issues that really matter to then as far as
service delivery is concerned. It is totally a cost-free Citizen-leader
interaction on the side of the local population. ToroDev and Tracfm are
responsible to meeting the cost of this interaction. What the local person
needs to do is to listen to a local FM radio station every day and get the
issue/topic/question being discussed, and then send his opinion/comment to
ToroDev and partners. They will collect this data together; publish this
information and what the majority people in a community/district/sub-county
will be saying will be forwarded to the specific leaders for attention.
Thank
you all for coming. We hope to meet you again in July 2014.
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