Government will embrace technology to track corruption tendencies by 2023

MBARARA – The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Dr Ramathan Ggoobi has said government agencies and ministries will embrace technology to track corruption tendencies.

Dr Ggoobi made these remarks while closing a two-day National Investment Symposium held at Kakyeka Stadium in Mbarara City.

He further said, automating government processes is meant to track the tax payers’ money and ensure that the money collected is put to proper use.

“Beginning next year, rationalization of government is going to take shape because we want to emphasize the efficiency of government,” says Ggoobi.

“When you pay tax, where is it going? The revenue we collect, what is it doing? So, the government took a decision to rationalize itself to improve on the way it does business, the results government needs and how it accounts for the resources that you give us,” he added.

In this regard, Dr Ggoobi says his docket is designing an e-procurement system to reduce inefficiencies in government offices.

“We are working on e-government procurement modernity and by next year about 50 of the central government ministries, departments and agencies are going to be procured online to reduce the inefficiencies we see in government,” the PS emphasized.

Dr. Ggoobi also said, the modernity being fine-tuned to be implemented in 2023 will procure in the same way WhatsApp groups does it on social media.

“With a WhatsApp group, if we could get its mirror image in our procurement that the firms which are bidding for government projects can be seen transparently on a computer and the business they are doing instead of going in small rooms to meet certain people where they give bribes, we are likely to reduce on corruption tendencies,” the PS explained.

“Ministry will start e-monitoring of schools and health centres across the country to protect the government drugs from being stolen,” said Dr. Ngoobi.

“We have also developed a platform to implement the e-monitoring of schools and health centres which some people have not been doing effectively of inspecting and monitoring teachers.

“If we have children in the school and we have a number of teachers, how are they being monitored to ensure that they offer the service they are paid to offer. So, we are introducing a system which is going to be monitoring the learners as well as the teachers and also monitoring the health centres across the country to ensure that medicine and other equipment which government buys are not stolen.”

Dr Ggoobi is also optimistic that the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) lost by 3% during Covid-19 pandemic since 2020 will recover by the year 2023/24 through different stimulus packages the government is committed to providing.

“We are implementing a stimulus package to boost aggregate demand and also support businesses to restart and recover. A total of Shs 260 billion have been deployed through Emyooga as well as Shs 77billion through SACCOs targeting the financially excluded vulnerable groups and active poor through Microfinance Support Centre,” he said.

“We have lost nearly 3% of GDP growth in each of the past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic which is projected to grow at 3.8% by June this year. The economy is destined to recover its free pandemic growth of above 6% beginning 2023/24,” the PS added.

Prof Elijah Mushemeza, MP Sheema North Constituency also challenged the government to focus on local industries and processors to empower the forthcoming Parish Development Model (PDM) program.

“With the mobilization we are doing in the parish model, if we are not careful, people are going to surprise us with commodities and we shall have no market but if they are processed, they can be kept for some time,” Mushemeza said.

“In our opinion, Ankole is at a stage where there is serious production and with little processing, it will increase our incomes. We require more than four banana processing plants,” he added.

The Uganda Investment Symposium concept was launched in 2019 with an inaugural symposium held in the West Nile region and a subsequent one held in the Rwenzori sub-region.

This year’s national symposium was organized by Uganda Development Bank Limited (UDBL) in partnership with Operation Wealth Creation (OWC).

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Unexploded ordnances threaten agricultural activities in Amuru.

AMURU – Amuru district leaders and farmers are concerned over the increasing number of unexploded ordnances being unearthed during the ongoing land preparation for planting period.

So far, more than 300 unexploded ordnances have been found in the district in the past 2 months, according to a report from the district security committee.

The report shows that the most affected areas are Pabo, Pogo, Atiak, Lakang and Layima sub-counties.

Christopher Onyango, a farmer and resident of Oguru cell in Pabo Town Council says, people are afraid to fully exploit their energy in tilting especially land in forests for fear of being hit by the unexploded ordnances.

“Last year, a 17-year-old boy lost his leg to a grenade while he was tilting his land in Oguru,” says Onyango.

“In 2019, a boy identified was Kidega lost his feet after he dug and hit a grenade which exploded while he was clearing his land. This has since discouraged many of us from clearing land which has never been used for fear of meeting similar challenges,” Onyango said.

“This has affected our harvest because we are forced to continue using the same pieces of land previously used even when the fertility has degraded,” Onyango noted.

Susan Achiro, another farmer, and resident of Layima says, tractor operators are reluctant to tilt new areas which have never been tilted before for fear of being hit by the ordnances.

Geoffrey Osborne Oceng, the former Amuru Resident District Commissioner (RDC) says this is affecting their efforts to rally people to fully engage in agricultural practices because they fear for their lives.

Recently, the UPDF 4th Division barracks in Gulu has been exploding the ordnances, but Oceng says limited resources have affected their operations.

Oceng was addressing the Minister of State for Defense and Veteran Affairs, Jacob Oboth Oboth during a consultative meeting in Pabo Town Council.

According to Oceng, there’s need for the intervention of the central government and Ministry of defense to provide more resources so that community members are saved from being hit by the ordnances.

“We are busy mobilizing the masses to actively engage in opening their land for the forthcoming planting season, but these efforts have been frustrated by the presence of unexploded ordnances within the communities. In recent times, we were being supported by the UPDF at the 4th division barracks in Gulu which is not enough due to limited resources,” Oceng says.

Jacob Oboth Oboth, the Minister of State for Defense and Veteran Affairs said, the concerns of the farmers and leaders will be addressed by the army headquarters.

Amuru, like many parts of Acholi sub-region was part of the battle fields for more than two-decades between the the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the government forces. As a result, several weapons were planted underground as the war progressed.

https://thecooperator.news/ayugi-pugwang-cooperative-society-demand-updf-to-vacate-their-land/

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Kinyara Sugar limited, farmers lose more than 3000 acres of cane to fire

MASINDI – Kinyara Sugar Limited and the sugarcane out-growers in Masindi district have lost more than 3000 acres of sugarcane plantation to fires since December last year, says Mathivanan Masilamani, the Agriculture Manager Kinyara Sugar Limited.

Every dry spell, Kinyara Sugar Limited and farmers grapple with fire which leaves them counting losses. In most cases, the cause of the fire is not established.

Some people say, the fire originates from bush burning, negligence, envy among others.

Mathivanan said most of the fires were experienced in the newly created sub-county of Bikonzi.

He further told theCooperator that more than 1000 acres of burnt cane have been supplied to the factory for crushing, 470.5 acres are still under haulage, 863 acres not taken because they were still young and 298 acres sold to other companies.

Last week, 516.25 hectares belonging to Kinyara and the farmers got burnt in Miirya sub-county in Masindi district.

The farmers lost about 348 hectares while Kinyara Sugar Limited lost 167 hectares.

The farmers who lose their cane to fires have been complaining that the company doesn’t take the burnt cane for crushing, hence making huge losses as farmers.

But Mathivanan dismissed that claiming that they have been taking the burnt cane and they are still doing so.

“When a farmer loses sugarcane to fires, he/she must foot the cost of transport, harvesting and loading. That’s the condition we gave them. We are doing this because we have a lot of overgrown cane we are supposed to harvest. If we focus on the burnt cane, we will be increasing the burden of the overgrown sugarcane. We did this after agreeing with Masindi Sugarcane Farmers Association Limited (MASGAL),” he explained.

But most of the farmers have been complaining that the costs are too much and they cannot manage it.

Robert Atugonza the Chairperson (MASGAL) says farmers have lost millions of shillings as a result of the fires.

“Measures have been put in place to fight fires in vain. I am discouraging the community members to desist from setting unnecessary fires,” said Atugonza.

Sugarcane poaching

Mathivanan noted that as a company, they are also grappling with sugarcane poaching, adding that they have lost more than 1000 hectares of sugarcane in a period of a year.

Two months back, security belonging to Kinyara Sugar Limited intercepted four Tata lorries attempting to steal sugarcane from Kinyara Sugar Limited Estates in Butoobe village in Bikonzi sub-county, Masindi district.

The company officials indicated that the vehicles with registration numbers UBH-009Q, UBJ-150G, UBJ-152G and UBG-578X were intercepted by the company’s security loaded with about 90 tonnes of sugarcane worth about Shs 7,956,000 at the point of arrest.

Sugarcane poaching implies taking away cane from out-growers supplying a particular factory to other factories and entities elsewhere.

Previously, during his state of the nation address on May 31, 2016, President Yoweri Museveni called for a stop to sugarcane poaching to avoid the risk of importing sugar from other countries due to low production.

Competition over sugarcane had in the past been limited to Busoga areas as Kakira Sugar Works complained about new millers eating into its 8,500 out-growers. But other big factories such as Kinyara Sugar Limited in Masindi has been facing the same challenge.

The practice in which emerging millers target established factories, buying sugarcane from out-growers has come to be known as “sugar cane poaching.

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Life after Prison: Authorities call for establishment of re-integration, counselling centers for former inmates

GULU – Margaret Orik Obonyo, the Aswa Region Prison Commander has called on the various stakeholders to establish a re-integration and counselling facility to help former inmates adapt to life after prison upon completion of their sentences.

Upon completion of prison sentences, former inmates normally go straight to their respective homes without any psychological and psychosocial support.

This, Orik says, jail is traumatic and needs to be addressed in a center through which one commutes from their respective homes as they continue to interact with their fellow inmates as they carry on with practice of the life skills they would attain while serving their sentences.

“We normally train our inmates with various life skills ranging from tailoring, brick laying and concrete practice, carpentry and joinery, salon and hairdressing among others. If they could be supported and a center or centers established are for them, they could continue with practicing their various skills and earn money as they continue with their re-integration into their various communities,” Orik proposes.

Douglas Peter Okello, the LCV Chairperson of Omoro District conquers with Orik but says for the idea to be effective, the centers will need to be established at district levels so that distances and others costs attached to the commuting to a center for example in Gulu City would be minimized.

Okello says, the result of the lack of counselling and psychological preparation of the former inmates into the community in most times results to either suicide or further crimes committed by the former.

“We have had numerous cases of former inmates committing suicide while others engage in criminal activities which is majorly as a result of lack of mindset change among others. This according to our findings, is because the former inmates are normally bitter with the members of the community who could have participated in them being jailed,” Okello says.

According to Okello, such a center could turn out to be a great center for entrepreneurial activities based on the skills the inmates have acquired during their time in prison but also as a center for community transformation. Some of the inmates can be trained to become crime preventers since they have experiences to share as a result of being in prison.

Brian Opio, a former prisoner, who served and completed his sentence says, sometimes he is raged with anger from the fact that his life has probably been destroyed and can’t be recovered which sometimes brings in the temptation of going back to the criminal life that took him to prison.

Opio says, despite having attained skills in carpentry and joinery, the lack of capital has also greatly affected him in establishing a workshop to support himself.

“Society often looks at me as a criminal and for this reason, no one is willing to financially support me to put up a carpentry workshop. So, putting up a center where we can continue to practice our skills as we earn money from it could help fund dreamers like me who can’t kick-start life after spending more than three years in prison,” Opio says.

Gulu Central Government Prison has a total of 146 female inmates and over 1400 male inmates.

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Government issues stringent conditions for donors and development partners operating in Uganda

UGANDA – The government has issued stringent guidelines for all donor agencies and development partners operating in Uganda.

Through the Ministry of Finance, the government wants all donors and development partners to have uniformity in their operations with the country’s development plans and with full knowledge of government monitoring agencies.

In a circular letter signed by the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Matia Kasaija, “All development partners should have jointly prepared country strategy papers with the government to ensure that the proposed support is in line with Uganda’s aspirations as enshrined in Vision 2040,” the letter reads in part.

It also stipulates that all agreements and contracts of development assistance should be signed off by the Minister for Finance, as a measure to avoid duplication of efforts.

This will also require all development assistance and projects to be implemented together with or in consultation with the relevant government departments to ensure sustainability of investments carried out.

“The above guideline applies to all programs to be implemented by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the private sector,” It stressed in part.

Reportedly, intended to streamline development assistance in the country, the guidelines compel all partners to seek for cabinet approval of their assistance and signed off by the Minister for Finance, with prior submission of all projects and programs for internal clearance.

The letter, which was also copied to the Embassies in Uganda, including the major donors like; Germany, United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, Sweden further demands that all development assistance should be appropriated by Parliament including those whose accounts would be managed off the treasury single account.

Other Embassies copied include; Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Iceland, France, China, Japan, Italy, India, South Korea, and the European Union.

The Ministry of Finance has also provided a special reporting arrangement under the program-based budgeting system in the ministry to cater for funds off the treasury’s single account.

This would in-effect require that all funds provided by the development partners would be reported on for budgeting by the government.

The letter signed by the Minister for Finance Planning and Economic Development, Matia Kasaija also reports that the government has provided a Comprehensive Aid Management Platform where all support by the development partners are reported on and monitored; urging all players to use it to enable the government have a comprehensive approach to all development cooperation efforts.

The letter also compels all development partners to comply and adhere to the new guidelines to ensure transparency.

The letter was also sent to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Resident Representative, World Bank Country Manager, African Development Bank, Country Manager, and Arab Contractors.

Others on the receiving end include; JICA Offices in Kampala and the Economic and Commercial Counsellor, at the Chinese Embassy in Kampala.

The government has on a number of occasions clashed with Civil Society Organizations over what they referred to as illicit funding.

Early this year, Lawyer Nicolas Opio who is also the Director of Chapter Four, a human rights Organization was charged with money laundering after receiving funding from development partners overseas.

CSO’s and private businesses have always alleged that police and other security agencies raid their offices to hack into data regarding funding and other security objectives.

Those raided over the years include; Action Aid-Uganda, Human Rights Network, Unwanted Witness, Anti-Corruption Coalition, The Uhuru Institute for Social Development, Great Lakes Institute on Strategic Studies among others.

https://thecooperator.news/statement-on-the-raid-of-the-uhuru-institute-for-social-development-office/

Bank accounts of some Organizations like Chapter Four, Action-Aid, GLISS among others were once frozen by the government pending investigations over allegations levelled on their funding and other irregularities.

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Post Bank Uganda trains more than 100 farmers on loan management in Acholi Sub Region

GULU – More than 100 farmers from various farmer groups and cooperatives in Acholi sub-region have been trained on loan management skills by Post Bank Uganda.

The one-day training held at Boma Hotel in Gulu city, was aimed at boosting agricultural productivity and a savings culture among farmers.

Jimmy Ocen, the Manager in charge of lending at Post Bank Uganda, while addressing the farmers said, most farmers who borrow loans for farming instead divert the money to other things like buying land and building houses among others.

“Most times people get a loan and divert its purpose. We are trying to show them that you can actually get a loan and pay it back comfortably if you put it in the right purpose, if you choose a profitable enterprise.”

He said on several occasions, when they carry out monitoring visits of farmers who have borrowed loans to engage in farming, they find no activity on the ground.

The farmers were also encouraged to embrace insurance for their crops against natural disasters like floods, drought and hailstorms.

https://thecooperator.news/farmers-encouraged-to-take-up-agricultural-insurance/

“Agricultural insurance is very cheap at only 5%. The government even subsidizes it by paying 2.5%.

Simon Opiyo, the Chairperson Paicho Central Kal Growers Cooperative acknowledged that farmers indeed divert loan money to other projects hence leading to their failure.

He however said, that the training was timely and would help farmers increase their production.

Santa Abwot, a farmer from Amuru district said that they did not know about Agricultural insurance yet they have been suffering losses due to floods and drought.

In Gulu district alone, food crops worth Shs 2.6 billion was lost in hailstorms in three sub-counties of Bungatira, Awach and Pukony in the month of July 2021, according to a report from the district.

It’s estimated that 2, 215 acres of crops like maize, beans, cassava, millet, soy bean, ground nuts, potatoes, bananas and tree seedlings were destroyed in hailstorms.

In a request to the Office of the Prime Minister in charge of Emergency Assistance, Gulu Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Okaka Geoffrey stated that the crops would have yielded 2,745 tones if the hailstorms had not destroyed them.

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France offers Uganda a grant worth Shs 286b for extension water services in Isingiro district

ISINGIRO – The French government has offered Uganda a grant totaling 69M Euros (about Shs 286b) in a bid to extend water services in Isingiro district.

The funding to build a water project in Isingiro district was allocated through the French government’s agency Françoise de Development (AFD).

The money was received by the Uganda Finance Minister, Matia Kasaija and the French Ambassador to Uganda, Stephanie Rivoal and witnessed by the National Water Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) Executive Director, Engineer Silver Mugisha.

According to Mugisha, the funds are intended to construct water supply systems in 15 sub-counties and 8 Town Councils in Isingiro district.

He adds that the funding is a fulfilment of part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in 2019 between France and Uganda to improve water supply in Kampala and South Western Uganda.

Mugisha said that the project when completed, will address the water supply challenges in districts of Isingiro, Mbarara, Masaka and the surrounding areas.

“Congratulations to NWSC, this is a milestone and it should go a long way in addressing water stressed areas in Isingiro district,” says Mugisha.

The French Ambassador in his remarks said, AFD has committed more than 1billion Euros over the last 20 years with 200 Euros committed in 2018 alone in an effort to support Uganda’s sustainable and equitable development in water, sanitation, energy, environment and climate change, as well as strengthening the private sector.

Rivoal added that access to water and good sanitation is a major contribution to human development.

Speaking to Jeremiah Kamurari, the former Chairman Isingiro district, welcomed the project stressing that the district had never received any piped water in the area.

“All the other districts in Western Uganda have some water supplies either from national water or gravity but it has been only Isingiro where there is no single water supply scheme in the district,” Kamurari explained.

He is however worried that if the project is not monitored well, the money will be stolen by unscrupulous civil servants in the country.

“We have big worries always accompanied by bigger projects like this one. So, we expect that if there is no involvement of IGG, DPP and other related institutions, we are likely to have half of the money for the project swindled,” Kamurari emphasized.

He therefore appealed to the Inspector General of Government (IGG) to be part of the supervision such that, there is effective supervision to guarantee that the money will be put to proper use because of the rate of corruption that has ruined the country.

“Our call goes to the National Water and Sewerage Cooperation and Ministry of Water to ensure that there is constant supervision and monitoring to ensure that the money is put to its intended use. Even the local leaders in the area should be vigilant to ensure that this money is not squandered,” said Kamurari

According to Aaron Turahi, the current Chairman Isingiro district, the water project was contracted last month to BRL Ingeniere Company.

He appealed to the contractor to employ the locals so that they can also benefit from the project.

“We agreed that 70% should be our locals from Isingiro district who should be employed in non-technical works,” Turahi said.

https://thecooperator.news/cooperators-raise-alarm-over-bundibugyo-water-crisis/

He says the water project in the district is a fulfilment of the presidential pledge while he was last campaigning in Isingiro.

“This does not just come to us but it was the president who promised water to the people of Isingiro. And it will basically be used for irrigation, production and animal feeding where we shall no longer register death of people’s animals because of drought as you have always seen during the dry spell,” LC V Boss explained.

My role is to welcome each and every project that is coming in the district and to see that there must be a sustainability of that project, added Turahi.

He also encouraged proper monitoring for quality water project in the district.

“As a district we are involved and we shall ensure that the project is done successfully because we are the overall supervisors and monitors of the project in the district. And whoever comes here to do shoddy work, we shall deal with him because we are already served with bills of quantities,” Turahi said.

The water project in Isingiro will be implemented in line with Uganda’s vision 2040 which highlights access to clean piped water for all and the National Development Plan.

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Serere district disburses Shs 90m to quack journalists.

SERERE – Serere district Members of Parliament have raised a red flag over the criteria the district officials used to disburse Shs 90m to quack journalists under the presidential initiative on wealth and job creation dubbed as Emyooga.

Statistics from the office of the District Commercial Officer, Simon Opolot, indicates that Serere district received Shs1,680,000,000 which was distributed to various SACCOs across the three counties of Kasilo, Serere and Pingire.

During the meeting between the Members of Parliament, district leaders and the Chairpersons of Emyooga SACCOs, to review and evaluate the progress of Emyooga program, it was found out that the district erroneously appropriated Shs 90m to quacks who disguised themselves as journalists.

Opolot said, of more than 180 registered SACCOs in the district, 3 were journalists’ SACCOs.

The SACCOs include; Pingire Journalists SACCO, Kasilo Journalists SACCO and Serere Journalists SACCO which received Shs 30m each and shared it amongst their respective associations established at parish level.

The revelation left the Members of Parliament wondering how Serere district was able to form journalists SACCO per county yet the number of practicing journalists in the district has been less than 10 journalists.

This report was presented to the Members of Parliament who included; the Minister of State for Fisheries, Hellen Adoa, who also doubles as Serere district Woman MP, Patrick Okabe (MP Serere County), Fred Opolot (Pingire County) and Kasilo Member of Parliament Elijah Okupa.

The Kasilo Member of Parliament, Elijah Okupa who was the team leader of the Members of Parliament cited a lot of irregularities in the report presented by the District Commercial Officer, Simon Opolot.

He said that the report didn’t reflect the amount of funds disbursed to the SACCOs and the date they received it.

https://thecooperator.news/re-allocate-emyooga-funds-to-local-government-accounts-systems/

In her submission, Hellen Adoa, the Minister of State for Fisheries said that she carried out an on-ground independent investigation prior to the meeting and found out that a number of members in the SACCOs and associations across the district are ghosts.

“During the visit, most associations were there but as it is, with many situations, there are bad apples. Some of the groups are not among the intended beneficiaries.

According to Adoa, Shs 30m which the district appropriated to Pingire County Journalists SACCO ended in the hands of masquerades totalling to Shs 90m.

Speaking in a tough tone, Adoa said, three of the SACCOs were composed of non-journalists disguising themselves as journalists while the purported performing artist’s SACCO was also made up of non-artists.

“I personally made calls to some of the members purported to be journalists in these respective SACCOs, unfortunately they denied being in any journalists SACCO,” she said.

The Member of Parliament for Serere County Patrick Okabe, blamed the district technocrats for disbursing funds to wrong beneficiaries without verifying.

“It’s sickening to learn that the district went ahead to disburse money to wrong members without verification. The Money has gone into the wrong hands. How can a small constituency of Pingire have 43 Journalists? It’s unbelievable but needs further probing,” Okabe questioned.

He suspected that some of the members in the journalists’ SACCOs disguising themselves as journalists are relatives of the sub-county or district technical staffs.

Okabe said that he has received a series of complaints from the public saying the fund intended to fight unemployment among the masses, is mismanaged to benefit a few who are not even in the targeted groups.

According to him, the saboteurs are doing so by forming and giving money to ghost groups and by asking for a 10% kickback, which he describes as not only being criminal but also undermining the president’s objective of introducing the initiative.

Meanwhile, the Pingire County Member of Parliament Fred Opolot attributed the mess to lack of proper sensitisation of the public about the program guidelines.

He said, had the Ministry of Finance drilled the beneficiaries on how they are supposed to benefit from the program, such shameful mistakes would not have happened.

Beneficiaries speak out

The Chairperson, Kasilo County Journalists SACCO, a correspondent of one of the radio stations in Soroti City based in Serere district, consented that many of his SACCO members are not journalists.

Out of seventeen registered members, only five are journalists while the rest are just citizen journalists, radio callers and agents.

The Chairperson, Serere County Journalists SACCO, Samson Adongu, faults the district technocrats and Minister of Finance for issuing contradictory guidelines about the program. Serere County Journalists SACCO, has three associations with less than 10 registered members.

“During the training conducted by the Ministry of Finance in February, 2020 at Soroti University, the Minister Haruna Kasolo described radio callers and agents as part of journalists, which every person who attended the training took as a gospel truth,” said Adongu.

Commercial Officer’s comments.

In his defense, the Serere District Commercial Officer, Simon Opolot said the blame should go to Microfinance Support Center for misleading the technocrats on who is a journalist and who is not.

He allayed fears that the district won’t recover that money from the masquerading journalists, saying that they will follow them to the dot till they repay back the money.

“The money is seed capital given in form of a revolving loan, so they must be informed that the money has to be paid within a period of four months as per the guidelines. Those who will not pay will be arrested,” warned Opolot.

The on-ground investigation taken by theCooperator reveals that Serere district alone has less than 20 professional journalists who mostly practice their journalism in Soroti City and other major towns in Uganda.

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Re-allocate Emyooga funds to local government accounts systems

GULU – The Resident City Commissioner (RCC) of Gulu, Denis Odongpiny has urged the government to re-allocate Emyooga funds from the Microfinance Support Centre to the Ministry of Finance and release it through the local government accounts system.

The Office of the RCC is charged with the responsibility of monitoring, supervising and evaluating the Emyooga programme.

“While the President has assigned us with the supervision of the project, let’s not forget that we don’t have the mechanisms for accountability and that is where we have concerns,” Odongpiny added.

This same view is held by Gulu City Town Clerk, Moses Otimong, who said that council has no legal mandate to monitor, supervise and account for funds that are not reflected in the national budget.

“I can’t be held responsible to account for funds I am green about; and above all the money doesn’t come in a manner that we can monitor,” Otimong explained.

https://thecooperator.news/msc-tasks-leaders-to-sort-emyooga-program-challenges/

Otimong further urged the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to restructure Emyooga into the local government system to avoid abuse and corruption in the project.

The ambiguity of the legal frameworks surrounding the Presidential Initiative on Wealth Creation, Emyooga program, has continued to leave questions on accountability mechanisms in the project.

The government has entrusted the Microfinance Support Centre with the implementation of the project which is directly charged with financing the enterprises selected under the project.

The Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development released Shs 260 billion to support the project through the Microfinance Support Centre.

Gulu City Council (GCC) among other implementing local government systems was allocated Shs 1.1 billion which was received on July 06, 2021 to support the 438 different groups within the City.

However, technocrats and top government officials have sighted mistrust, bureaucracy and the unclear legal frameworks as hindrances to the progress of the implementation of the project.

Whereas the Resident District Commissioners (RDC) and the Resident City Commissioners (RCC) are mandated to oversee the implementation of the project, accountability mechanisms have not been established.

Gulu City Council Commercial Officer, Catherine Lanyero who presented the report to the Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC) raised concerns on lack of legal policy frameworks.

Martin Ojara Mapenduzi, the Bardege-Layibi Division Member of Parliament and two other area Members of Parliament in the city met with city authorities over the uncertainties surrounding the project on Wednesday 11th August, 2021.

Lanyero revealed that only 36 of the 438 groups who applied for the different projects and enterprises received funding, adding that the majority failed to meet the conditions to access the loan.

She further explained that, lack of legal frameworks in the governance and the management of the fund has continued to leave unresolved questions on monitoring and accountability of the project.

According to her, each of the 36 groups which received funding initially deposited Shs 10 million to the different banks which is the one-third savings condition established before the fund can be disbursed to the beneficiaries, adding that the condition is within the Cooperative Act.

The disbursement performance report indicates that only Shs 32.4 million have so far been released to the beneficiaries and the performance only stands at nearly 3.7% while billions of shillings remained inaccessible in the banks.

Members of Parliament have also raised concern on who is mandated to benefit from the interests which will accumulate in the banks for the period the beneficiaries are struggling to meet the conditions to access the funds.

While the city authorities have no idea on this concern, the Emyooga Coordinator Acholi sub-region, Caroline Alarokoma alleged that the banks have fixed the money to realize profits, one of the many factors that delayed the groups to access funding though she could not point out the specific banks.

The Area Member of Parliament for Laroo-Pece Division Fr. Charles Onen revealed that the different groups in the city have spent Shs 260 million alone to complete the registration yet they are again required to deposit one third of their savings into the banks before accessing the money which is equivalent to Shs 10 million.

“The condition is unfair and yet the project intends to improve the livelihoods of the vulnerable Ugandans but look at the poverty level in Acholi sub-region and tell me whether the groups will be able to raise that money to become the beneficiaries,” said Fr. Onen Charles.

Gulu City Woman Member of Parliament Betty Aol Ocan, said the approach government initiated for the disbursement was wrong; it calls for immediate review before the resources could get wasted.

“Emyooga shouldn’t be about receiving but how it will impact the lives of people from the region differently from other projects which were marred by corruption,” Aol further explained.

Some of the group members who talked to theCooperator shared that they have been frustrated by the processes set to access the funds and decided to abandon the project.

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Bunyoro receives Shs 4 billion as affirmative action to fight poverty

HOIMA – The government through the Ministry of Bunyoro Affairs which operates under the office of the Prime Minister (OPM) has released Shs 4 billion to Bunyoro region as a special grant to fight the worrying poverty among the kingdom subjects.

The Shs 4 billion was released under a program dubbed Micro Project Association which was recently initiated by President Museveni to help the people of Bunyoro create jobs and wealth so that they can move out of poverty.

The funds were unveiled by the State Minister for Bunyoro Affairs, Jenifer Kacha Namuyangu on Wednesday during the launch of the program at the RDC’s office in Hoima City.

During the launch, Namuyangu disbursed Shs 64.5 million to 16 groups from Hoima City and Hoima district who are the first beneficiaries of the program.

https://thecooperator.news/action-against-hunger-unveils-farming-projects/

According to Namuyangu, the Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) are mandated to monitor and supervise the implementation of the program adding that the funds will only benefit organized people in groups.

Though the beneficiaries have the right to select enterprises of their interest, Namuyangu directed leaders and technical officials to sensitize, help and guide the beneficiaries in selecting the best enterprises which are marketable and train them with financial literacy.

“This money is from President Museveni given to Bunyoro sub-region as a special intervention for them to get out of poverty in addition to other projects,” she explained.

She added that the government is ready to add more money on the Shs 4 billion to ensure that all the people interested in benefiting from the project are not left out.

“We shall even give them more money, because we have the money, this is the money for last quarter but I have already written to all accounting officers in the ten local governments of Bunyoro to select other groups and this time round we want everybody involved, the Members of Parliament, District Chairpersons and their Executives, Councillors, Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) and the District Internal Security Officers (DISOs) must all be involved so that the groups that are sent to me are groups that are real groups that are serious and on the ground,” she explained.

Namuyangu warned the beneficiaries against mismanagement of the funds and appealed to them to have goals, values and be focused to use the funds for the intended purpose.

Speaking on the behalf of the beneficiaries, the retired Bishop of Bunyoro Kitara diocese Rt. Rev Nathan Kyamanywa commended the president for the initiative but said that the money is too little to create impact to the beneficiaries and asked the Minister to lobby for more funding.

“There is a group which has received Shs 2 million here, so I was wondering how the members will share this money, I want to give my example. When you visited my farm, I told you that I need to have 5000 goats in 2 years, you know my budget and I have just received 10% of my budget, how will I be able to produce 5000 goats with that money, we are not rejecting it but we request that you add us more money.”

However, the Woman Member of Parliament for Hoima district, Harriet Businge welcome the program saying it will help many people to move out of poverty but questioned the criteria used in selecting the beneficiaries. She complained that groups were picked from one particular area leaving out many other areas on the program.

“It is unfortunate, that the criteria used to select the groups was unfair because when you look at Hoima district which I represent, only few groups benefited from this cycle, the entire Bugahya county with over seven sub-counties has no beneficiary at all, there is no group that has come from the entire Bugahya,” she complained.

Hoima Resident City Commissioner (RCC), Samuel Kisembo promised that a mechanism will be put in place to ensure that all the interest groups benefit.

He added that they are planning to have a committee which will select and scrutinize the beneficiaries in the second phase of the project.

Kisembo also urged the beneficiaries to excellently perform so that they can be given more funds since it’s allowed for those groups that perform well.

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