Ministry of the Presidency has earmarked Shs 10billion in the financial year 2018/19 to refurbish the National Leadership Institute of Kyankwanzi.
Appearing before the Presidential Committee of parliament, officials from the office of the President led by the the minister Esther Mbayo submitted a Shs118b budget for the next fiscal year, of which 10 percent was towards the renovation project of Kyankwanzi.
The institute sitting on over 10 hectors of land situated along the cattle corridor in Kiboga was established immediately after the then National Resistance Army (NRA/M) captured power in 1986 to train public servants in national leadership and basic military training techniques.
However, it has of late been used to conduct retreats for members of parliament especially in the ruling party and dignitaries from foreign countries occasionally visit the facility for refresher courses.
Following the increasing demand for the facility, the ministry has set aside a whopping Shs10b to give it a facelift.
“Honorable members, all of you have visited this facility in one way or another and I cannot say much but it is one of the places we need,” Mbayo said.
NRM legislators welcomed the idea saying it was long overdue.
Jessica Ababiku (Woman MP Adjumani) and chairperson to the Presidential Affairs committee lamented that many of them had stopped going to Kyankwanzi because of the poor infrastructure at the institute.
“Some of us have hated going to Kyankwanzi . I stopped and am not going there any more because of the level of infrastructure there for example people with disability are not catered for by the institute. It is a national center not a political center thus we need total upgrading and maybe we should have our workshops there to save governments expenses,” she said.
Buikwe South MP, David Mutebi cited that the institute is very important because it is a knowledge inculcation centre hence needs a facelift as soon as possible
“Having a leadership institute of the kind of Kyankwanzi is noble and I support the idea of giving it sufficient funds in order to put in place the appropriate infrastructure to enable it deliver its cause,” he said.
Woman MP for Nakasongola District, Margaret Komuhangi said that basing on the people that go there who include ministers, it is now the right time to refurbish the facility to offer a VIP status to the different ranked government officers intending to use it.
“I support the project. Recently I saw KCCA councilors using it and even high ranking officials have visited the facility. On reaching, you are welcomed by a litany of beds pooled together in a dormitory, we need something worth our image,” she said
