North Bukedi Development Agency,  an anti-poverty campaign launched

Leaders from North Bukedi sub-region have launched the North Bukedi Development Agency to act as a machine towards anti-poverty drive campaign

During the strategic meeting held at Marple Cottages, the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation in the office of the President,  Dr. Monica Musenero, officially launched the North Bukedi Development Agency to gear up in the Anti-poverty drive campaign in the sub-region.

Dr. Musenero said the agency is intended to mobilize communities to embrace new scientific technologies and change of mindset in order to root out the prevailing high poverty levels in the region.

“As leaders, we need to speak with one voice so that it turns to be much easier to lobby for projects because once we stand disunited on flimsy factors-politics, region, tribe, these will not take us anywhere. Let’s be united and focused in order to achieve our objectives” Dr. Musenero said.

The anti-poverty drive campaign will be championed by the North Bukedi Development agency covering the five districts of Pallisa, Butebo, Kibuku, Butaleja, and Budaka.

The meeting had convened to draw strategies and understand why the people in North Bukedi have remained in abject poverty despite several government interventions.

Dr. Musenero said that the five districts that fall in the North Bukedi sub-region have been described as the second poorest in the country after the Karamoja sub-region.

Dr. Musenero said that the meeting was intended to draw lessons from the launched PDM which, to be a fulcrum for collective bargaining and lobbying as a sub-region.

“The current poverty rate is 43.7% with the GDP  per capita of less than $ 135.The NDP3 poverty reduction projection for the Bukedi region is 25.8%. Therefore, there is need to stimulate  the growth  potential of the districts in key growth opportunities in Agri-business, industrial development and tourism” Dr. Musenero  emphasized

Adding that, “It’s necessary for affirmative action to come up with an elaborate and concise plan to uplift and catapult the districts out of the prevailing abject poverty of 4 out of 10 people living below the poverty line. This is manifested predominantly among the women, youth, PWDs and elderly”.

The former Butaleja LC5 chairman, Richard Waaya, said that the memorandum which was presented to the President lacked key issues which could attract the attention for address.

“We need at all occasions to share these drafts Memorandum before it's presented to the president to avoid similar situations. This guides to understand which priority issues need more attention” Waaya said.

Waaya further said that the sub-region is just disadvantaged because there is no reliable cash crop or enterprise which could be a basis for the people to pull together and market internationally as a region.

Robert Kasolo, the Iki-Iki County MP, said that Nkolera Kida Kyonka, as the President calls it, is reflected in households that depend on subsistence farming as the main source of livelihood.

Kasolo who said was disappointed by the issue of eviction of rice farmers from wetlands in a memorandum which was presented to the President said this should have not been the issue but how best the affected people can be supported.

He also highlighted that water for production is the embodiment for unpredictable rainfall in the region which has adversely affected the production levels of farmers.

“The unreliable rainfall is one of the frustrating factors hindering agricultural production and productivity in the district “he emphasized.

State Minister for Bunyoro Affairs, Ms. Jennipher Namuyangu said the government has made several interventions through Nusaf 1 riding up to Nusaf 3, YLP, UWEP, PRDP  Emyooga, and others but still people are still trapped in abject poverty.

Ms. Namuyangu explained that those resisting the establishment of industrial parks are betraying us because it’s a policy that districts have to provide land for industries that will employ the majority of the unemployed youth.