Kyenjojo pupils abandon class to join lucrative tea industry

Workers at Rusekere Tea Factory in Kijura, Kabarole District prepare tea for processing

Kyenjojo- As one travels along the snaky Fort Portal-Kyenjojo road, tea plantations paint the road sides green against the vast plains, making the scenery beautiful. In the morning, people of all ages carry baskets on their backs to pick tea.

The tea industry in Kyenjojo is so lucrative that it has so far attracted at least seven factories in the district with vast estates.

One of them, Mabale Tea Factory, is owned by at least 800 peasants following the privatisation of public enterprises in Uganda in the 1990s. The industry has also attracted hundreds of migrant workers from south west Uganda and DR Congo.

Although the business is booming, it is threatening the education sector in the district as elders and authorities are worried at the rate at which children are abandoning school to pick tea.

Recently, a conference was organised by the Kyenjojo Elders’ Forum and NGOs, including Ride Africa, Kabarole Research and Resource Centre, Tooro Development Network among others, to tackle the problem.
According to elders, children under Universal Primary Education are not motivated to stay in school and complete studies thus venturing into other income-generating projects such as tea picking.

“The district ranks among the poorest in the country by the Uganda Bureau of Standards. It lags behind in education and food production since most children at schools pass time while others are working in tea farms and factories,” Mr Rujumba Muhenda, an elder says.

Col (rtd) Tom Butime, another elder, believes that children will continue to drop out of school unless all stakeholders ensure that quality education is provided.
He says parents have carelessly left their responsibilities to the government as far as education is concerned.

“Most homes do not provide food to their children and they will always starve while in class for the afternoon lessons. At this level, they are not expected to concentrate on what the teachers teach them. So, the first blame goes to the parent before a finger is pointed at the teacher,” Col Butime says.

According to stakeholders, the problem is worsened by the fact that some parents allow their children to stay at home to provide domestic labour.
Elders have now proposed enactment of by-laws to compel the parents to send their children both girls and boys to school.

“There should be punishments for parents denying their children a chance to benefit from universal education,” Mr Muhenda observes.

According to this year’s district education department report, there are more than 300 primary schools of which 120 are private. But it is the public schools that have been hit most with the drop outs and poor performance.

A survey carried out by Community Based Monitors in several schools in the district in 2009 found that Rwentuha Primary Schooli in Bugaki Sub-county had 166 spupils absent out of the 889 pupils while in Makerere Primary School, Butiiti Sub-County 243 pupils were absent out of 685.

The survey also found that due to ohigh poverty levels in the district, parents have forced their children to do casual labour and pick tea to earn a living.

The Resident District Commissioner, Mr John Rex Achilla, says men have resorted to alcoholism which affects domestic income since they can no longer support their families.

According to the district education officer, Ms Gertrude Tibakanya, lack of enough teachers has also led to poor performance.

“Teachers are not enough in schools which makes it a problem, especially in villages where accommodation and transport costs have led to absconding. A teacher is appointed here in Kyenjojo but decides to move to Kabarole District for another job,” Ms Tibakanya says.

The government introduced a Prosperity For All programme under Naads in 2010 urging farmers in Kyenjojo to use modern farming methods and fight household poverty.

It remains to be seen whether they will stick to the initiative in order to realise long-lasting results.

Public universities to change admission criteria next year

KAMPALA- Public Universities Joint Admissions Board has issued new criteria to Senior Six candidates wishing to apply for government scholarship in the five public universities beginning next academic year.

Mr Charles Ssentongo, the Makerere University academic registrar, said the board will next year use three principal subjects instead of four when calculating entry points to institutions of higher learning.

The changes follow government’s directive two years ago to scrap four principal subjects and introducing compulsory Sub-Mathematics and Information Communication Technology (ICT) subsidiary subjects for advanced level students.

“We have reduced the subject category from four to three. We used to have essential, relevant, desirable and others but the latter has been removed,” Mr Ssentongo said.

He explained that the maximum points a candidate could score have reduced from 25 to 20 points.

The students have up to December 20 to submit their forms, which will be a basis for their selection on government scheme once results are out.
A subject taken at subsidiary level such as General Paper, Sub-Maths or Computer Studies shall carry one point. A subsidiary pass ranges from grades one to six [1 to 6].

He warned that the board has noted over the years that most candidates apply for only ‘popular’ and highly competitive programmes including Law, Social Work and Social Administration, Business Administration, Medicine and Surgery, Pharmacy and Electrical Engineering leaving out other courses that would otherwise give them higher chances of getting government scholarship.

“Some candidates don’t make choices on programmes such as Bachelor of Library and Information Science and Bachelor of science. In several instances, many of those candidates do not qualify for the highly competitive programmes but would qualify for the less competitive programmes if they had applied for them,” Mr Ssentongo said.

Updated at E-Society-Kyenjojo

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Public-universities-to-change-admission-criteria-next-year/-/688334/2078710/-/1306wbz/-/index.html

The tell of Tooros' rich culture by a tourist

Feeling the pulse of Toro’s rich culture

Royal regalia at the Karuzika Palace, with a lion statue and animal skin on display

With beautiful scenery characterised by mountains, roaring water falls and stunning women, Toro is unarguably one of Uganda’s tourist destinations.

It was a bright sunny Friday morning in Fort Portal, September 27 to be particular, when I developed an untameable mood for feeling the pulse of the Batoro culture and ancient ways of life. To that effect, I was at Karuzika Palace, Kabarole Hill as early as 9:00am.

Regrettably, no sooner had I walked three steps into the palace, than a thunderous voice commanding me not to move an inch struck. It was from a tough-looking guard who was keeping an eye on the entrance.

Going by the way he dashed towards me, I knew hell was seconds away from breaking loose. He looked at me with suspicious eyes before giving me a barrage of questions. He pinned me for a sound explanation as to why I had discredited the Toro culture by passing through the king’s gate.

Thankfully, the guard realised that I was a first time tourist at the palace. He almost knelt as he apologised for harassing me. He then directed me to the alternative path used by tourists.

Right at the end of the tarmac path, I found a friendly, greybearded tour guide probably in his early 50s. His name of preference was Mzee Kibale.

A range of milk and ghee pots on display

Kibale led me around and inside the palace. Like most cream palaces in Africa, almost everything in Karuzika — from the royal red carpet to the wall paintings — glowed with a touch of royalty. With every turn inside, my eyes landed on royal regalia like spears, models of lions and stunning hides of leopard skin used by King Oyo for ceremonial purposes.

Being the typical African I am, my third eye is in my hands. Yet again, I was not allowed to touch all that my eyes saw, because culturally, only the king’s hands are worthy enough to touch them.

Later, the talkative Kibale led me to a spacious room at the ground floor. He offered me a bulky information album whose every page mentioned a thing or two about the kingdom’s ancient past like warfare and marriage, among various aspects.

For every page I opened, Kibale took time to tell me the particular year the content I was reading had happened and how it happened. He explained how the Batoro got their name from the phrase Omutooro, which means ceremony.

“They welcomed visitors, ate, walked and spoke with grace and pomp. The culture is rich with ceremony. As a result, they are called the Batooro which means the ceremonious ones,” Kibale explained

SCENTS OF TORO

A lady demostrates the use of local perfumes inside the exhibition hut

At the base of the central pillar of the hut were two jolly women seated on a carpet made of cowhide. I was offered a short T-shaped wooden stool to sit on after which both ladies went on bended knees to greet me. This was a Toro gesture of welcoming.

Soon, I was asked to part with sh1,000 for my shirt to be scented with the old-style Tooro perfume. My black T-shirt was spread over a round reed basket under which was a ventilated grey pot. Inside the pot, hot coals burned a mixture of leaves and peelings taken off the bark of a local tree.

As a result of the combustion, there was thick cloud of smoke as the matter burned to ashes. As it forced its way through the air spaces of the basket, it soaked my shirt with its striking coconut-like scent. Five minutes later, my shirt was good to go, with the scent of Toro accompanying me.

I also participated in many unforgettable experiences like churning of ghee, preparing ogiiro — a traditional dish of mashed lentils and milking a cow. The climax of the day was when the exhibitors leaned their hands on my shoulder and offered me the pretty gift called Amooti. 

Everything about her seemed natural, I pictured her with a glowing skin and bashful eyelashes. I know some are already itching for a piece of my Amooti, but relax! Amooti is nothing but the sweet pet name I was given. As is the custom in Toro, my hosts gave me this pet name  (empaako) as a gesture of assimilating me into the Toro tribe.

ENTERTAINMENT THE TORO WAY

To cool off the day’s steam, I retreated for yet another memorable cultural entertainment night at Primate Lodge, situated in Kibale National Park, 33km from Fort Portal town. Once the camp fire was  set, dinner was served.

At 6:00pm, a dozen cultural dancers costumed in multicoloured bitenge, cowrie beads and green tops appeared to entertain us.

They charmed our eyes and ears with a mixture of Bakiiga and Batoro performances. As an interlude, they recited poems that exalted Toro kingdom. They lauded Toro’s seven wonders: that is the mountains, roaring water falls, the crater lakes, breathtaking scenery, game parks, rich culture and stunning women.

BATORO WAY OF LIFE

Thanks to the grey-bearded man, I was tipped about an on-going cultural festival at Boma grounds, situated in the heart of Fort Portal. I made my way there and found hundreds of booths exhibiting different aspects of the Toro way of life; there was traditional brew, barkcloth, pottery and cow milking, among others.

A part of me wanted to experience cow milking, but my tongue on the other hand wanted to sample the local brew. To cut the story short, I was spoilt for choice.

We are grateful with the reward.

In the bid to support and improve Education in both primary and secondary schools in the Rwenzori region RIC-NET organised an Essay writing and Art competition

Nyakasenyi pupils pose for a photo.

The competitions under several themes like “How adequate have the government interventions in boosting Agriculture and education sectors been in light of the different, NAADS, USE and UPE initiative”, Art and painting under “A child friendly environment”, poems attracted several schools in the 7 Districts of Kasese, Kyenjojo, Kabarole, Bundibugyo, Ntoroko, Kamwenge and Kyegegwa.

Just after getting their rewards.

Kyenjojo District was represented by Nyakasenyi and Kyembogo primary schools.

Delivering certificates to all the participants in the above schools this morning by the RIC-NET staff the pupils and teachers were filled with joy and happiness receiving good news of harvest.

In his opening remarks the teacher in charge Nyakasenyi primary Mr. Kalwana Monday expressed his gratitude to RIC-NET for having intervened in the Education sector and motivating the learners to join such competitions.

Priscilah of Kyembogo P.S Receiving her certificate

Speaking to the pupils Mr. Yosia Baluku RIC-NET appreciated the pupils for having picked the interest participating in this Art and essay competition. He encouraged them to continuously participate in such challenges as they improve their writing skills, painting skills, earn them presents like the certificates they received. They were all filled with joy as they received their certificates.

The winning team-Kyembogo

In a related story Kyembogo primary school was over whelmed with joy as they welcomed the RIC-NET staff with serious hand claps at an assembly arranged by the school management. The deputy headteacher was grateful and thanked RIC-NET for such an initiative saying this has given the pupils courage to know that their pieces were marked by highly qualified teachers who mark PLE as narrated to them by the RIC-NET represantive.

They were happy and promised to continue participating in whatever other challenge that may come up.

KYENJOJO DISTRICT COMMITED TO SUSTAINING THE ICT INNOVATIONS

Kyenjojo District is one of the beneficiaries for the Electronic centers with support from RIC-NET, RWECO and HIVOs. The centre plans which date as 2011 were realized with the set up of a fully equipped Electronic centre in early 2013. To date the District has served over 1000 ICT users through computer trainings, social media, and typesetting, E-electronic library and website services among others.  The users involve District staff, CSOs, Researchers, intern students and community members.

In a bid to continue the achievements of the project, a District meeting was held on 14th October at the District council chambers to discuss to the wayforwrd of sustaining the Electronic centre after the project closes in December 2013. Present at meeting were RIC-NET staff Kyomuhendo Joselyne, Baluku Yosia  Mr.Asiimwe Charles, systems Administrator,  Mr.Muhindo Geoffrey, Documentation officer, RIDE Africa's human rights  officer  Mr

RIC-NET Program manager presenting the sustainability concept

Guma Wilson and one representative of Mwenge Rural information centre, Atuhaire Moses. The District was represented by the CAO, the Deputy and the heads of departments.

After two presentations by the ICT officer Mr. Yosia Baluku and the Program manager Ms. Joselyne Kyomuhendo the District officials re-affirmed their commitment to sustain the E-centre by contributing to the weekly internet, webhosting and computer maintenance and repair.

The CAO informed thanked RIC-NET/RWECO for the support in ICT. he informed the  meeting that the room hosting the centre was dedicated as a permanent home for the E-centre and as such sustainability was assured in the shelter and thus no movements of equipments.

Heads of department in the meeeting

With the experience shared from kasese about writing to the public service commission to recruit an ICT officer,  this  was received in good faith as the District promised to request  but it’s a challenge as the District noted that the public service can’t recruit a staff as soon.

Finally another meeting will be held with the District in November,   inclusive   of massive training for District & Lower Local Government staff in areas of interest and finally  the  E-centre would be  handed over to the District.

Kyenjojo expectant

Kyenjojo District Local Government is expecting funding from the GOU under PAF, LRDP, PHC, SFG, LGMSD and other sources and intends to utilize part of the funds for the procurement of works in the financial year 2013/2014. 

The District is planning to use part of the funds in anumber of activities among which include;

• Drilling and installation of 6 deep boreholes with hand pump Lot1
• Drilling and installation of 5 deep boreholes with hand pump Lot2
• Construction of OPD ward at Mbale HC II
• Construction of a 2 Classroom block with office and store, and supply of 36 three seater desks at Bwenzi P/S
• Construction of a 2 Classroom block with office and store, and supply of 36 three seater desks at Nyamabaale P/S
• Construction of a 2 Classroom block with office and store, and supply of 36 three seater desks at Nyamwezi P/S
• Construction of a staff house, kitchen, 2-stance VIP latrine bath room and urinal at Kaihamba P/S
• And many more other activities.

The District under the Procurement and Disposal unit has therefore advertised and called for interested bidders to apply and submit their bid documents before 4th October 2013.

The details to this advertisement can be accessed on the District website at the link http://kyenjojo.go.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=79&Itemid=98 and the electronic library at http://elibrary.kyenjojo.go.ug/

Evaluation

The HIVOS team accompanied by RWECO and CEW-IT representatives had an all round evaluation of the "Enhancing civic competence for social accountability project"
The sampled Districts to be visited were Kabarole, Kasese and Kyenjojo.

HIVOS officer, DIO Kyenjojo and CAO during the evaluation

The team Visited Kyenjojo District on the 21st August 2013 and met several stake holders. Among these included the District Information Officer, the Chief Administrative Officer, RDC and many others.
Several questions were asked on the progress, challenges, lessons learnt from the project.
Speaking to the Chief Administrative Officer he thanked the partners for such an initiative that he commended for having added value to the District.
He however noted that the time given for the project to be run/funded was not enough and therefore would need some extension.

He recommended that this was good project that would need to roll out to other Districts.

HIVOS officer after the evaluation posses for a photo at the center

Minister orders CAOs to ensure schools open

Education minister Jessica Alupo has directed chief administrative officers to ensure all government schools open for third term on September 16.

The minister’s directive comes in the face of a move by teachers through their union to lay down tools at the beginning of the new term, following government’s failure to honour a promise to increase their salaries.

Ms Alupo said in a statement yesterday that she had received a notice from Uganda National Teachers Union (Unatu) regarding their declaration of industrial action, and warned the teachers against making learners to suffer, at a time when some of them are preparing for their final national examinations.

“Government directs all districts to ensure that all schools open for third term on September 16. The chief administrative officers through their district education officers and inspectors of schools are requested to ensure that all schools are opened as scheduled and head teachers report to their duty stations to receive parents and their children,” reads Ms Alupo’s statement. She asked teachers “not to sacrifice their professional ethics and abandon learners at this critical moment.”

However, Mr James Tweheyo, the Unatu general secretary, yesterday maintained their position. He said they did not sign the report Ms Alupo is expected to take to the President after they failed to agree.
While Ms Alupo insisted there was no money to increase the teachers’ salaries, Mr Tweheyo said they were able to identify Shs243b out of Shs130b government needs to add on their wage bill.

Instead, as Ms Alupo plans to hand over her findings to the President this week, Mr Tweheyo yesterday said they had also complied a parallel report which they will give to the President when they are called upon. “We have refused to sign Alupo’s report. We don’t agree with the inter-ministerial findings. We shall hand over our report to the President when he calls us,” Mr Tweheyo said.

The Executive Director, Uganda National NGO Forum, Mr Richard Ssewakiryanga, blamed the standoff on government’s failure to respect budgets by consistently asking for supplementary budgets. He questions whether teachers will be in position to deliver if government forces them to report to school. “The reason we don’t have money is because of budget indiscipline and money stolen through corruption.

The actions expressed now are symptoms of a much bigger problem. Even if the teachers go back to school without their demand being met, do you think they will be teaching? Government should be mindful of its actions,” Mr Ssewakiryanga said.

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Minister+orders+CAOs+to+ensure+schools+open/-/688334/1987428/-/bxijjkz/-/index.html

Updated at the E-society resource center.

PWDs not catered for in public buildings

A survey has indicated that there is difficulty in accessibility to buildings and facilities in Kampala by persons with movement limitations.

Most buildings don’t have facilities such as ramps and lifts while many of the existing accessibility facilities were not designed according to the required standards.

Can’t access services
While addressing the media about the status of People with Disabilities (PWDs) the chairperson Uganda National Action on Physical Disabilities, Mr Arthur Blick, said it is in these buildings where services crucial to human survival are provided. “This contributes a lot towards unemployment and inadequate involvement in community by PWDs,” Mr Blick said.

The survey indicated that only 95 per cent of public buildings in the central business district (CBD) conform to the required standards.

According to Ms Phyllis Kwesiga, an architect, accessibility is not only for the wheel chairs but even all sorts of disabilities should be put in consideration like pregnant women, blind people among others.

So what role should we as stakeholders play in order to harmonise this problem?

Museveni Orders Forest Evictions

President Yoweri Museveni has directed the immediate eviction of encroachers currently occupying the Kyenjojo forest reserve, saying they must leave the forest before the Government uses the relevant organs to effect the eviction.

"Those in the forest must leave now. The residents and leaders must work hard towards ensuring the protection of the environment by stopping the destruction of the forest," he said.

His directive comes after part of the natural forest along the Mubende-Fort Portal road was cut and the trees burnt for agriculture and charcoal. The encroachers have defied several orders to vacate the forest and instead, intensified its destruction by erecting semi-permanent houses close to the highway.

The President was speaking on Thursday at a civilian veterans rally at Butiti Primary Teachers' College, Kyenjojo district. The President was in the region on a four-day sensitisation campaign to improve family incomes as part of Government efforts to reinforce the poverty eradication fight among veterans. He addressed rallies in Kabarole and Kyenjojo districts.

Museveni urged the residents to support the veterans in waging war against poverty, noting that a village person can lead a decent life like the town people if they engaged in modern agro production in cost effective enterprises.

He said when the NRM came to power in 1986 the national revenue was only sh5b compared to the current Sh9 trillion. This he said has enabled the Government provide Sh20b to Kyenjojo district per year for rendering services to the people.

The President urged residents to cultivate at least one acre of coffee, one of fruits such as mangoes, oranges and pineapples, one of bananas to ensure food security and elephant grass for dairy cows and also engage in projects such as piggery and poultry.

Museveni also announced the appointment of Major Joseph Mwebesa to command the Kyenjojo production zone.

While still in the tour of the region, Museveni commissioned the Kitere Municipal solid waste composite plant in Fort Portal's west division and a power line to Kitere that is part of the wider power supply to Fort Portal Municipality worth Sh710m, as part of the Government's power distribution programme to empower small scale enterprises in peri urban areas.

The Kitere plant that is jointly funded by the World Bank, NEMA and Fort Portal Municipality, recycles garbage collected from the municipality into organic manure suitable for agriculture and biogas.

The President was accompanied by the Minister for Energy and Mineral Development, Eng. Irene Muloni.

The President who was visibly impressed by the technology at the plant pledged to look into some of the challenges faced by the facility.

Museveni also met with a delegation of investors from Haldor Topsoe, a technology firm based in Denmark. The delegation was led by the company's chief executive officer, Bjerne S. Clausen.

They were accompanied by the Danish ambassodor to Uganda, Dan E. Frederiksen and the Uganda Deputy Head of mission to Denmark, Ambassador Danny M. Ssozi. The company is interested in producing fertilizers from oil by-products.

Clausen informed President Museveni that their is a leading technology provider in Amonia chemical required in fertilizer production.

Clausen said once the plant is established in Uganda, it will create 10,00 jobs directly and 10,000 indirectly and will greatly boost the agricultural sector in the country.

The President welcomed the investors and pledged Government's full support for the project. "I totally support this one. I warmly welcome you to Uganda. In fact, we need it," President Museveni stressed.

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201308121212.html

Updated at E-Society Resource center Kyenjojo

2nd Technical Planning Meeting since financial year 2013/2014 started sits

The District technical planning meeting today 26^th August 2013 sat at Kasiina council hall to update themselves on the current activities within the district.

The other component of the meeting was the invited Implementing partners (IPs) with the district who were required to join this extended TPC. SDL turned up and RWECO/RIC-NET was represented by RIC-NET ICT officer.

Meeting Highlights

Among the issues discussed was the power crisis at the district headquarters that had gone into the fourth week. Members highlighted a number of resolutions having realized that the district receives a low power voltage as explained by the district engineer and also that the district runs high voltage equipment.

Resolutions were Education, Works and health departments be switched off for the mean time as the district waits for a higher voltage connection. The planning unit is among the most affected departments with power given a faulty metre that needs replacement.

There were also issues raised by the chairperson of the meeting about accountabilities and that some funds from UNICEF were halted due to unfinished accountability from the health department. DHO was requested to inquire from the project focal person and report back as soon as possible so as to have the funds released.

Engravement of town council equipment especially the newly procured double-cabins was to be done and that Katooke town council had already done so.

A first batch of 332 bicycles for LCS was delivered to the district and the last batch would be delivered soon.

From NAADS the DNC (District NAADS coordinator) reported that he had received an email that the secretariat was to deliver 11 motor cycles to the lower local governments and the secretariat would deliver them soon.

50,000 seedlings of calyptus were delivered to the district by National Forestry Authority (NFA). These are to benefit the entire community of Kyenjojo District.

Sector reports

All district sectors submitted their reports and intentions for this week. Among them was;

Health: the District health officer reported that they had several workshops throughout the month the latest being one to equip laboratories that was held in Imperial Hotel-Kampala.

That quality improvements meetings were held  such as strides, Justice for children among others and auditors from World Health Organisation (WHO) through the health ministry had made a follow up with the district on the M-Trac project.

The DHO also reported important activities that were going to run throughout the week and other months to come. These included;

Safe male circumcision conducted by spears that will be targeting Katooke and Butunduzi town councils.

HIV/AIDS review meeting due on 28^th -29^th August by the AIDS commission.

Micro planning meeting about polio vaccination. This is going to be a door to door immunization against polio that will run in two phases September 21^st-23^rd and then October 19^th-20^th 2013.

Education reported that several monitoring activities were going on in the District and that mocks were conducted on 20^th to 21^st August 2013 and that marking would be done by next week.

Several reports and sector work plans were presented.

All present Implementing partners (IPs) were recognized and their services appreciated. “We appreciate all the activities of our IPs and had it not been your support to the district we would be limping. We promiss to continuously work and cooperate with you” said the District planner Mr.Busingye Richard.

The meeting was adjourned at 11:00 am.

In other news the District is conducting an inspection and evaluation of all District (Government) motorcycles at the District headquarters.

The District council will be sitting and passing the 2013/2014 District budget this Friday 30^th August 2013.

Local Governments still challenged with limited revenues

By Pauline Apolot
Uganda’s decentralisation policy is premised on the view that Local Governments are better placed than the central government to identify and respond to the needs of local communities. 

It is the beneficiaries of social services who are best suited to set local priorities and to hold local officials accountable in the use of public resources. The Government has worked diligently to put in place suitable structures and systems to set and refine the legal and institutional framework to build the implementation capacity at central and local government levels.

The concept of decentralisation is for Local Governments to provide basic public services such as Primary Education, Primary Health Care, water and sanitation, feeder roads and agriculture. Some significant achievements have been realised although there has been reversal over the past few years hindering service delivery and value for money. 

This has been as a result of near elimination of local revenue base which was as a result of the elimination of the graduated tax in 2005, which had provided local governments with discretionary expenditures which were very crucial in the provision of service delivery. This has made local governments to become more dependent on non- discretionary central governments transfers which contribute to over 77% of the total revenue to the local governments and making it difficult for local governments to account to local citizens.

The alternative revenue collection avenues that central government introduced like; the market dues, local service tax, hotel tax, Land based revenues include property rates and ground rents etc have had a big challenge in collection by most local governments. 

For example, the collection of market dues has been hampered with a number of factors which include among others; most markets are not gazetted and are located on land that does not belong to the councils/municipals, illegal markets operating a long side gazetted markets especially in the urban councils/ municipals reducing on the number of market vendors, access to most markets due to poor road network, poor infrastructure in the markets, permanent stalls which are not fenced hence insecurity in terms of theft in the markets and bad weather which affects the open-air markets functionality, among others.

Apart from the lack of revenue base for most local governments, there has been reduction in transfers from the central government to local governments. This has made local government to increase spending of the proportion of resources on non-discretionary transfers i.e. on wages and salaries. This is further made worse with the increasing creation of new districts which were meant to bring service delivery closer to the communities but in reality, the creation of new districts has increased on public expenditure and further reducing the amount of funds available for service delivery.

For Uganda to effectively implement the decentralisation policy, the central government should; support local governments in estimating the reserve prices for their revenues by using guidelines developed for establishing revenue potential, this can increase revenues collected. Secondly, Central Government should wholly transfer all powers of decision making and implementation to lower administrative levels to improve efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery. This should involve the de-concentration, delegation and devolution. This will empower the citizens since it will give them a significant say in the decision making processes and local priority setting and hence holding duty bearers  accountable.

The writer works with Uganda Debt Network 
http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/645604-local-governments-still-challenged-with-limited-revenues.html
 Updated at the E-Society center

Fear of needles prompts students to design software to test malaria

When Brian Giita, a 22-year-old first year student at Makerere University, got malaria at the close of last year, he had no idea that it would trigger his thinking into designing a mobile phone application that diagnoses malaria without drawing a blood sample.

His experience at a local clinic to have tests done was very painful since he hated needles, and injections all his life. And when the semester opened in February, he and his classmate Joshua Businge, both Computer Science students, were asked to develop a project as part of their academic requirements.

An application that could diagnose malaria without being pricked to draw blood, is the first idea that came to his mind. And that is how the idea, code named Code8, was born. It has since has won the group an award in the category of UN Women at the Microsoft Imagine Cup competitions in Russia.

“We wanted a mobile phone application that would diagnose malaria without having to draw a blood sample,” Giita, the brain behind the project, says.
“We have named it Matibabu, a Swahili word, meaning a medical centre. With this application, we want to bring medical centres to our homes through the mobile phone platform,” he adds. But the duo needed Simon Lubambo, a fourth year Electrical Engineering student and Josiah Kavuma, a third-year Information Technology student to join them since the former had software knowledge, while the latter was a mentor.

How the application works
The application uses a light sensor connected to a tablet that is passed over a finger to diagnose malaria. By connecting a custom piece of hardware (matiscope) to the windows phone, the user is able to diagnose and know their malaria status in the shortest time possible.

The results are sent to the user’s skydrive for medical record keeping and sharing with their personal doctors. “You just need to download the application on your phone, customise the hardware and all you have to do is connect the finger onto the hardware. Then it scans through your blood cells maximumly for one minute,” says one of the Code 8 members.

After diagnosis, it brings to your phone screen a results page showing whether you have malaria on not. Then you can either print or share the results with any doctors on your phone contacts or you can call the doctor and give him/her the results so that he prescribes medicine.

The team adds: “For now, we are using the windows phone and that means only those with that type of phone can access the application but since we are still in the development stages, we will bring it down to every mobile phone once we get approval from the relevant authorities.”

Fresh and Reloaded

Find us in the planning unit building first floor at Kyenjojo District Local Government headquarters P.O Box 1002, Kyenjojo-Uganda.
We are offering the following services

• Internet access
• Trainings in Computer literacy
• Technical support to the entire district staff
• Update of the district online platforms like http://www.kyenjojo.go.ug

E-Society resource center location

Users doing their work

For more details please visit us at the E-Society center.

A Home of Hope for Kyenjojo's 1,200 Vulnerable Children

Uganda has been described as the Pearl of Africa. However, in this beautiful land, there are a number of harmful cultural practices that make it a place no child would want to live in. As the third series of the Tumaini Awards is launched, ANDREW MASINDE visited Kyenjojo district, where HIV/AIDS prevalence is high and taking a toll on the children.Bring Hope to the Family (BHTF) is an organisation, which is trying to help the children out of the situation.

Kyenjojo is one of the districts with a high HIV/AIDS prevalence. Some people did not know where to go for treatment and they gave up hope for life, resulting to many deaths.

Consequently a number of children were orphaned, resulting in more child-headed families. Many girls ended up in early marriages because they did not have parents to support them.

Faith Kunihira, who was born in Kaihura county in Kyenjojo, was touched after seeing what the orphans were going through.

Having grown up in a very poor home, Kunihira empathised with these children and felt the need to support them. She started by looking for aid from well wishers, to support the children, but failed.

Kunihira decided to take every child who was living on their own to her mud-and-wattle house.

Bringing hope to the families:

Eventually, in 2000, she set up Bring Hope to the Family (BHTF), a faith-based organisation at Kaihura trading centre in Kyenjojo. It serves orphans and vulnerable children in the communities of Kyenjojo, Kabarole, Kibale and Kamwenge districts.

Like its name, the organisation has transformed the lives of orphans, widows, people living with HIV and the destitute.

BHTF advocates child safety and protection of children from harmful practices such as child labour, child sacrifice, early marriages and domestic violence

This has been through sensitisation of parents and community members through radio talk shows and community visits All children have the right to be protected from any form of discrimination and unfair treatment or punishment, regardless of the child's race, religion, family status, culture, sex and whether the child has physical disability.

Updated at E-society Kyenjojo

http://allafrica.com/stories/201305100973.html (9th May 2013)

Kyenjojo E-Society here to serve

In order to enhance civic competence for social accountability, Kyenjojo E-Society Resource center has been full established and operational.
The center is meant to enhance timely  access to information through a number of offline and online platforms to the entire community.

This has been possible by the funding from HIVOS through RWECO and engineered by the technical organisation RIC-NET to the District.

The E-Society resource center is located at the District headquarters kyenjojo in the planning unit building first floor and offers a number of services among which include;

• Trainings in Computer literacy
• Internet access
• Any technical support to the District
• Update of District online platforms
• Print/Scan and photocopy
• Research e.t.c

You are all welcome for our services