ToroDev Team attended Kabarole District Council to assess the performance of Councilors who were trained in November 2016.

ToroDev on 10^th & 11^th November, 2016 was in Kabarole & Ntoroko districts building capacity of district councilors. The objective of the training aimed at empowering the district councilors with knowledge and skills to effectively play their roles of representation and legislation aiming at improving priority service delivery in the Rwenzori sub-region within a given period of time.

The district chairperson Hon. Richard Rwabuhinga making a presentation during council meeting

The orientation training aimed at empowering, motivating and encouraging female councilors to fully participate in raising motions and general council proceedings other than being dominated by their male counterparts. This followed the remarks made by Kabarole district speaker Hon. Stella Kyorampe that female participation in council proceedings was estimated at 20% where they leave male councilors to talk and debate on issues something we wanted to see changing in a near future.

On 30^th June 2017, ToroDev team attended the Kabarole district council to assess the performance of women, youth & other councilors and also track outcomes of the training. After the council session the team interacted with key district officials to hear their views whether the training yielded results or not.

‘’I observed women competing with male counterparts to talk during deliberations in council session. For example out of fifteen (15) female councilors who attended the council session, at least ten (10) were actively deliberating without any hindrance during the council proceedings’’, said David Kugonza, ToroDev’s Documentation & Communications Officer.

A woman Councilor deliberating during Kabarole district council meeting on 30th June,2017 

David further said that 2-3 women were able to raise motions & actively participate during council proceedings before the training done by ToroDev compared to ten (10) women to date who were competing with male councilors to attract the speakers ‘eye and were given the microphone to debate as observed during council proceedings on 30^th June 2017. We are hopeful that by end of three (3) years the district councils will be deliberating on key priority issues from communities focusing on improved service delivery.

‘’We really appreciate ToroDev for the training because there is a big difference from the way our councilors are deliberating now as compared to that time before the training. Women could fear to talk and male councilors were dominating the council proceedings. This trend has changed where women are actively deliberating on development issues and now could be graded at 60% compared to 20% before the training’’, said Smarts Bwango the clerk to council Kabarole district.

The Clerk to Council Smarts Bwango clarifying on an issue raised by a council during the council session

‘’Iam happy that the youth councilors are able to come up with recommendations to the district council like organizing a district youth council to plan for the funds accrued from the youth center to be invested in other income generating ventures to benefit the youth further. I personally credit this on the training conducted by ToroDev’’, said Hon. Richard Rwabuhinga Kabarole district chairperson. 

We are grateful to SIDA, NED, SPIDER, CIPESA, ICT4DEM & all our development partners for the support.