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.