Sub county chairpersons from Kicwamba & Kabonero in Kabarole district share their plans for the 5 years term 2016-2021

ToroDev through their post-elections campaign where leaders from the seven districts of Rwenzori Sub region are invited to share their development plans with electorates has to some extent made leaders accountable and committed to their pledges they shared during the 2015/2016 general campaigns in the region. The campaign has been on-going since the end of elections on the 3 local radio stations i.e HITS FM, KRC FM & Jubilee radio that partner with ToroDev.

On 3^rd September, 2016 Hits Fm through their ToroDev supported weekly program ‘Orukurato’ that is aired live every Saturday 8:00pm-10:00pm we hosted Mr. Businge Charles, the Sub county chairperson Kicwamba Sub county and Mr. Kyaligonza John the chairperson Kabonero Sub county to share with listeners the status of their sub counties and the plans they have for their communities.

Mr. Businge said the few months they have spent in office they have managed to do some work for example Bwanika-Kiguma road has been constructed, Kitarasa-Kicwamba road, Mubuhara-Kyakagusa road and work is on-going on Kagogo-Kiguma road where  first class murram will be put to ease transport of people and their goods. Kagogo-Kiguma bridge has also been constructed and ‘’I request citizens to use these roads to increase their house hold incomes’’, said Mr. Businge Charles Sub county chairperson Kichwamba sub-county.

Mr. Businge further said in the effort to improve water and sanitation in the sub county, the sub county with support of the district has secured 31 million shillings that will provide safe and clean water to Kicwamba Sub County especially in areas of Buhara parish and preliminary work has started on the site where the water sources will be constructed. The sub county has secured computers and solar panels as support from a health organization at the district that is aimed at improving record keeping in the health centers.

In education sector Mr. Businge said 2 classroom blocks have been constructed at Bwanika primary school and more will be done in other schools in the sub county that luck class rooms in order to improve the learning environment of children in these schools. The sub county under the government program of wealth creation has managed to get heifers, mango seedlings, tea seedlings, and we are also focusing on banana growing , all have been distributed to different beneficiaries in our sub-county aimed at improving household income for our people. Much as we are struggling to develop our sub county, we still luck government aided secondary education to support education in the sub county. ‘’We do appeal to the government through our elected leaders to lobby for secondary schools to reduce distances covered by our children in accessing education and also making fees affordable by majority so that our children can attain education’’, said Mr. Businge Charles.

 During the 2 hours live radio discussion, Hon. Kyaligonza John the sub county chairperson Kabonero said Kabonero health centre III has got mattresses and beds in their maternity ward to improve the conditions of women who come to deliver from the health facility. The district has recruited 3 health workers to support the existing staff and also secured computers and solar panels to improve record keeping at the health center.

 In education sector, the sub county with support from RIDE-Africa a local NGO in the district will train school drop-out especially girls between the age of 12-17 years in agriculture and hand craft work. A total of 450 children will be supported with skills and start up capital that will help them invest and run different businesses to improve their incomes and that of their families. Bunyangabu community development will also be sponsoring 5 children from the sub county to attain education at certificate and diploma levels.

Listeners were given time to call in and contribute during the 2 hours of the program through call-ins & Sms platforms, about 50 people called in and some of their contributions include; ‘’the health centre still has challenges like absenteeism of health workers and insufficient drugs, let our leaders lobby government to avert the issues’’, said Micheal Kikora a caller from Karangura sub county, ‘’ Teachers are absenting themselves from schools due to little and delayed salary payments, please help us otherwise the education standards in the sub county are dropping’’, said Margret Kazairwe a caller from Karangura in Kabarole district.

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