Social accountability towards good governance and service delivery

  Kakabara advocacy forum in partnership with ToroDev organized an accountability meeting on 1^st September in Migogwa Parish Kakabara Sub County, Kyegegwa district. The accountability meeting aimed at giving a room to both political and local leaders of all levels from Kyegegwa District to come and give people accountability and also allow local citizens to come and ask leaders for accountability, and demand for better services.

A total number of over 300 local citizens and political leaders attended the meeting and the attendance was at least 40% youth, 40%Women and others were leaders.

“We are much interested in women and youth because most times don’t get time to come and share their issues on radio, women don’t get the chance to meet their leaders and we have now started organizing the meetings at the parish level so that our women can find it much easier to attend and talk to their leaders in person, so taking the meetings at the parish level will enable  so many women to be part, to openly speak in public and they will present their problems to their leaders “. Said Amanya Sheila M&E Officer ToroDev.

The Leaders who attended included the Woman Area Member of Parliament for Kyegegwa District, Hon Flavia Rwabuhoro, District Councilors for women and youth Kyegegwa Distruict, the LC III Chairman, LC II, LC I Kakabara subcounty, youth leaders, Sub county technical team, opinion leaders and Police.

“We organize such meetings with an aim of providing a platform for the local leaders and political leaders to give accountability to the local citizens and it’s the only way the local citizens can demand for accountability from their leaders. We are now organizing meetings at the parish level so that we can get many woman and youth share their issues.” Said David Kugoza, Documentation & Communication officer, ToroDev. 

ToroDev Communication & Documentation Officer David Kugonza explaining the ToroDev advocacy model during the accountability meeting

  “As a forum we have been partnering with ToroDev for more than three years, we have been trained on issues of advocacy, using ICTs and how to hold leaders accountable. The main objectives of the forum is we hold political and local leaders accountable,  we demand for accountability for improved service delivery , we protect and defend the rights  of the people, we advocate for the voiceless especially women and youth.”Said Ahebwa William, the Leader of  Kakabara Forum.

Williams added accountability meetings have equipped   us the members of the forum and local citizens with skills to demand for accountability and demand for improved service delivery in education, water, health, road sectors,etc. We appreciate ToroDev for the support towards organizing such meetings as they have given us the freedom of speech and association with the hard to reach leaders.

 Mr Ahebwa Williams the leader of Kakabara Advocacy forum giving the opening remark and sharing the objectives of the Accountability meeting.

“Special thanks to ToroDev for organizing this meeting and am ready to give my accountability of what I have done in the past four years, I have mainly focused on 3 key issues education improvement, support for women and health. I have been able to lobby over 100 bursaries for the students who perform well in senior six exams to go to the university, and do presentable courses which can help them find jobs after their studies”. Said Hon Rwabuhoro Flavia the woman MP Kyegegwa District.

 Hon Flavia added I have put up a school in Kyegegwa district which gives bursaries to the orphans to study for free and I have done this to promote education to the vulnerable children especially the girls.  I have been visiting and supporting every government school that performs well every year in the primary leaving examination

    

Hon. Flavia Rwabuhoro, the woman MP Kyegegwa District giving her accountability during the accountability meeting.

Action points were put in  place  and presented  them to the leaders especially the poor roads in the sub County, roads in Migogwa, Kyatega  parishes , also poor sanitation in primary government  school,  issues of land as a forum we shall keep on following to see that a change happens and there is improved service delivery in the subcounty of Kakabara.

Ms Twikirize a citizen of Migongwe Parish presenting her concerns to the leaders

 The meeting was supported by ToroDev in partnership with SIDA, NED, SPIDER, DRT, CIPESA and Kakabara Advocacy forum.