Kigezi tops Uganda in equal distribution of government resources between men and women

Additional reporting by Uniah Nambasa 

The Equal Opportunities Commission together with the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development has released the report that they have obtained after their assessment on the compliance of the Local Government budget framework papers with gender and equality requirements FY  2019/2020.

Sylvia Muwebwa Ntambi, the chairperson equal opportunities commission, while addressing the press said that the commission issued 175 assessment papers to local governments and 172 reports were turned back in.

She says that the three (3) districts including Abim ,Kalaki and Mityana MC  were not assessed because they hadn’t submitted their reports to Ministry of Finance by May 25, 2019 when the reports were compiled.

The assessment was carried out in fulfilment of the Public Finance Management Act 2015 to review how much local governments have been able to follow the gender and equity requirements.

Gender and equity planning and budgeting is considered fundamental to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Uganda Vision 2040.

Muwebwa Ntambi  added that among the 172 local government that issued their budgets only 65 obtained the 50% gender and equality requirement score and according to the analysis Kigezi region was the most  the most compliant with gender and equity requirements at 47% while Karamoja region being the least complaint at 36%.

Further results scored the regions as follows: Bukedi 46%, Central 1  scored 45%, Teso 45%, Ankole 44%, Bunyoro 44%, Toro 44%, Central 2 got 43%, Elgon 43%, Lango 43%, Busoga 42%, Acholi 39% and West Nile 37%.

It was observed in the analysis of the Budget Framework Papers and 2nd Quarterly Reports of the 172 Local Governments that only 65 local governments attained the 50% gender and equity requirement score.

The three local governments with exceptional performance on compliance above 70% were Rwampara district, Nebbi MC and Mbarara district.

She said that those local governments that failed to issue their detailed workplans to the ministry will be summoned to explain because the commission has all the authority to do so according to the law. 

The Finance Planning and Economic Development ministry will now issue gender and equity compliance certificates to districts that scored above 50%.