By Micheal Bitunga Atwakiire
Bushenyi: New revelations indicate that only a few individuals have benefited from the government poverty eradication programs in Busheenyi and Sheema Districts.
An investigation conducted by Spy Uganda reporter in Bushenyi and Sheema revealed that the poverty eradication programs have instead made the rich, richer and the poor, poorer.
These revelations have however angered the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Sheema, Frank Kyerere, who vowed to spill the beans and ashame some District leaders for greed and selfishness.
Kyereere vowed to drag all the sub county agricultural officers to the disciplinary committee. He said some would end up being fired if found that they acted irresponsibly.
Mwebaze Nicholas, a senior model farmer from Kasaana sub county Sheema district said that the government programs designed to alleviate poverty such as Operation Wealth Creation, NAADS, prosperity for all and others have done less to curb poverty, “the army doesn’t have the technical skills to run and guide agricultural interventions and that the methodology and timing of distribution of the monies and seedlings failed it all. It’s as if all these are targeting to silence opposition because they are given without work plan,” said Nicholas.
Kyakaaga Roodney said that OWC and NAADS are largely white ‘elephants’ because they have neither reduced household poverty nor improved food security , “what has happened in Uganda is breakdown of institutions , government institutions are currently full of corruption and inefficiency , that’s why you see wherever there is any service delivery challenge , the president calls in his army which isn’t any better , don’t be surprised next time if the army is called to attend to patients in government hospitals” Kyakaaga said.
Benson Mubaginzi from Rugarama sub county said that Museveni was trying to reward his Army men , veterans and those who were on katebe but not to alleviate poverty and that they are busy squandering tax payers money .
“All these programs are full of politics. How comes such programs like Boona Bagagawale [prosperity for all ], NAADS, OWC and AMP surface towards presidential elections ,for example AMP was brought in 2001, prosperity for all in 2006, NAADS in 2011,OWC in 2016, 2021 …???, just wait OWC is about to be baptized as new program for poverty reduction, ” said Benson
Rev Duncan Mugumya, the Head Teacher Ryakasinga Che said that president Museveni doesn’t have any problem but his advisors. “All those projects being brought by government without involving the final beneficiaries will never cause a big change to societies if so the output will never correlate with the inputs ,failure to plan is planning to fail. In which meeting did people say that they want potato leaves for planting ,but you meet trucks carrying them that they are helping people address poverty, no wonder they give them to their pigs” said Rev Duncan
Reports indicate that failure by the agricultural technocrats to be on ground to supervise the areas where they supplied the items was the problem.
Some people have started conniving with their friends who have already established their own projects and lie them[officers] in order to get money or items for survival but not poverty eradication purposes and no wonder why many youths who borrow money for youths program don’t return them back, it’s just a matter of coming out with written figures and one gets what he/she wants.
Sheema RDC Mr. Frank Kyereere said the findings were true, but he took a swipe at the sub county agriculture officers whom he said behaved like visitors. “Most of them step in their working sub counties once a month. No wonder Katsigaire Kenneth from Kitagata received 2000 coffee seedlings but dumped them in eucalyptus trees but our agriculture officer wasn’t aware about it, ”said the RDC.
This season Sheema district will receive 11581 mango seedlings , 21739 passion fruit seedlings , 145000 pineapples, 300 Irish potato bags, 1050 cassava cuttings ,24 dairy cows and 120 piglets however some people in some villages are eagerly waiting for apples, beans ,maize and others which they say that their area agriculture officer promised to bring them.
When contacted, the area OWC coordinator, afande Kibuuka Mukasa declined to comment, citing heavy schedules.
On the contrary, most people are celebrating in Bushenyi district saying that whoever remains poor in Museveni’s regime is ignorant. They hailed their OWC Coordinator, Edmund Bashaasha , for supplying what they need, and in good quality.
