•Skills development projects for 20 zones

•Land fragmentation killing production

May 14, 2019

HOIMA:  President Yoweri Museveni has urged leaders at all levels to form SACCOS that government can support to supplement their incomes saying it is not sustainable for government to increase civil servants salaries at this time. 

The President said government will also spread the skilling programme that has been tested in Kampala to 20 zones of Uganda where it will create industrial parks with assorted equipment for furniture making, maize milling, processing agro products etc to create wealth and jobs. He however urged the leaders to do an audit in their respective villages on wealth creation telling them to adopt the 4 acre plan proposed by government for small land holder families.

“The skills development programme will be spread in the 20 zones of Uganda and will be equipped to enable Ugandans process their agro products, furniture, timber etc in their respective zones. We are also going to have a SACCO fund for each activity including service industries such as Boda Boda, Women Entreprenuership, carpenters, saloon operators, tax operators, restaurants, welders, market vendors, youth leaders, People with Disabilities etc as a means of empowering communities to create wealth.

He urged them to sensitize the people about the dangers of land fragmentation saying by shrinking land ownership, it is killing production.

The President was today addressing a zonal consultative meeting on wealth and job creation with the political and technical leaders of Bunyoro from the districts of Buliisa, Hoima, Kagadi, Kakumiro, Kibaale, Kikuube, Kiryandongo and Masindi at Kontiki Hotel in Hoima Municipality, Hoima District.

The President took the leaders through governments economic recovery process saying they had to ensure total liberation of the country, rehabilitate it to minimum recovery and embark on economic development.

“Even with the development, we can’t do it at one, we have to prioritize. Those who put pressure on you in parliament, that we must do all these things at once, look for votes with lies,” he said.

The President elaborated that government had to prioritize sectors including roads with a Shs 6000bn budget, security Shs 3000bn, education with Shs 3000bn, debt repayment Shs 3000bn, electricity Shs 3000bn, health Shs 2500bn and water for domestic and production Shs 1000bn saying the land fund had one of the least funded priorities at Shs 193bn and that is why it is not felt but that it will soon improve.

“Even in the book of Genesis, God did things, one at a time. On the sixth day, he created man. That did not mean that man was not important. It meant that there were things that needed to be in place before man. After creating man, he told him to establish dominion over the world and multiply,” he said.

The President using the bible, said people should not have little faith in government after it had accomplished most of the big huddles urging NRM leaders to teach people faith based on facts.

“If roads have been built from Kampala to Kaiso tonya, Koboko to Kisoro why not these small road. 

Initially, President Museveni commissioned the Hoima road network 

covering 4.61 Kilometres in Hoima municipality, Hoima district. The constructed road network that cost Shs. 31 billion and is furnished with solar powered street lights that have checked security risks in the town. 

The Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development is implementing Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID) program. The USMID program is designed to enhance institutional performance of 14 municipal councils so as to improve urban service delivery.

“The government had not forgotten to construct the roads in Hoima township. The priority was to begin with the main highways namely Kampala-Hoima, Kigumba-Masindi, Kyenjojo-Mubende roads. Now we have embarked on the roads within the townships. I am happy to be here to commission this road in Hoima municipality. We have done all this development using capital from national local revenue. We are ready to do more once the oil is production in a near future”, he said. 

The President Museveni urged leaders especially those in service delivery sector to be transparent with resources allocated for national development.

The Mayor of Hoima Municipality Mary Grace Mugasa said that the commissioned roads are aimed at revenue enhancement and capacity building in the area. 

“On behalf of Hoima town population, all we wish is to have is to maintain peace and stability. We have nothing else to reward you, but to pledge to support you for the next term office come 2021”, she said. 

#ENDS…