Rural monitors continue advocating for public accountability and better services

In the month of August 2014, ToroDev evaluation team encouraged advocacy forums to work hand in hand with the local citizens and actively engage their leaders in physical meetings on FM radio stations. “Advocacy forums have been encouraged to have internal meetings to determine their activities and priorities independently without necessarily relying on ToroDev. Thirteen forums held meetings, and they will continue to hold monthly meetings with facilitation given to them from ToroDev to help them in carrying out mobilization”, said Amanya Shilla, ToroDev’s Monitoring and Evaluation Officer.

Members of People's Rights & Forum for Development

Members of People’s Rights and Forum for Development in Mugusu Sub County, Kabarole District have monitored government programs. “On 4^th of August 2014, we monitored the closing of the national ID registration exercise at village and parish level. On 16^th August 2014, we also monitored the training of the enumerators and super visors of the national population and housing census at Magunga Primary School”, said Mukwano Ssenyonjo, the chairperson of the forum.

Advocacy forums have also held monthly meetings to access their work, determine their priorities and also form work plans. “During our monthly meeting, we identified the issue of Kihondo Road which needed trenches and agreed to meet the LC III and share the issue with him. We also agreed on moving   to different schools and see how the schools are performing in terms of sanitation, water, among others”, said Rwaheru Gilbert, the Chairperson of Kicwamba Forum for Development and Service Delivery in Kicwamba Sub County, Kabarole District.

Members of Bufunjo People's Forum

Meanwhile, members of Bufunjo People’s Forum have gone ahead to monitor their local leaders. “We are following up the case of our sub county chief who awarded himself a tender of fencing Bufunjo Health Center III. He claims to have used thirteen million shillings yet he used eucalyptus trees to make the fence instead of metallic poles as per the council resolutions”, said Tibeeha John Bosco, the secretary of the forum.

In conclusion, to achieve better impact, there is also need to scale up motivation, training to build the capacities of the advocacy forums to sustainably monitor service delivery and demand accountability.  

The advocacy forums are supported by SIDA/CIPESA on a project aimed at using appropriate ICT tools to promote democratic engagement in the Rwenzori Region, Western Uganda.