Local leaders, residents, and stakeholders in Kagadi claim that while they voted for the NRM government with 82% support in the previous elections, the services coming from the Centre do not match the support they offered, especially in the fields of health, roads, and education. Kagadi has thirty-five sub-counties running on a budget of over forty billion shillings.
In response, Benjamin Tumusime, the Kagadi acting Resident District Commissioner, is quick to ask people to be appreciative of what the government has so far done for the district, claiming that they rushed to create a lot of lower local governments without considering the available resource envelope.
Kagadi district has thirty-five sub-counties. While the government policy on Health Centre III talks about having a Health Centre III per sub-county, only ten have Health Centre III.
Out of one hundred fifty-one parishes, only thirty-five have Health Centre II. In education, only ten out of thirty-five sub-counties have seed secondary schools.
Like other districts, Kagadi equally receives one billion shillings for roads per financial year, which leaders claim is inadequate given the huge stretch of road kilometres in the district. Extension of electricity is equally still low.
In the previous elections of 2021, Kagadi voted for the ruling National Resistance Movement with 82%, but residents are concerned that while they voted overwhelmingly, the services do not match the support.
“It is very unfortunate; while we supported NRM so much, the services are minimal on the ground. Bad water, health facilities are ailing, and the roads are in bad condition,” Geofrey Kurabisa, a resident, stated.
Some stakeholders claim their leaders, including the district leadership and Members of Parliament, have not done enough to lobby for better services from the central government.
“We expect our leaders to be lobbying from the Centre and from donors, but this is not being witnessed. Imagine thirty-five sub-counties with one billion shillings for the road fund, one road unit—what can we do?” Obed Ambikize stated.
However, the Buyaga West Member of Parliament, Barnabas Tinkasimire, and Buyaga East legislator, Eric Musana, claim that they raised most of the issues, including the renovation of Kagadi Hospital, establishment of a Health Centre IV per constituency, increase in the road fund budget, and extension of electricity, but line ministries claim there are limited resources.
“The problem is I’m the only person who talks on behalf of Kagadi people. If we had many voices, the government would have prioritised us and stopped using the excuse of not having money,” Barnabas Tinkasimire said.
“But water extension is being done in some parts of Kagadi, electricity we are pushing, but for other services, the government claims they don’t have funds,” Eric Musana, the Buyaga East MP, stated.
The Kagadi District Resident District Commissioner, Benjamin Tumusime, wants people in Kagadi to appreciate what the government has done, especially with over fifty billion in revolving funds, roads constructed, and several water projects worth billions ongoing in various sub-counties.
“We have a water project ongoing in Kabamba, there are plans to have another in Kiryanga, the one in Kagadi is complete, and most of the roads have been graded courtesy of our State Minister for Transport, Fred Byamukama. I think the people of Bunyoro need to appreciate the government for what has been done so far,” he said.
Tumusime, however, faults leaders in Kagadi for being quick to create many administrative units, increasing from nineteen to thirty-five sub-counties, yet they knew the government had no funds.
“Kagadi, at creation, had nineteen sub-counties, but leaders here were quick to split them. Now they have thirty-five sub-counties, but no plan was made on how they would be funded. So, some government policies of having a seed secondary school per sub-county and a Health Centre III per sub-county can’t work for local governments created recently, but the government is aware,” he stated.
Tumusime, however, agrees that Kagadi Hospital needs a total overhaul, given the current situation and the number of patients that flock to the facility from as far as Kyenjojo and Kikuube.