Minister Rwamirama faults politicians for frustrating govt programmes
Despite the need for an additional 4,000 extension workers, Rwamirama expressed concerns over political interference.
State Minister for Animal Husbandry, Bright Rwamirama speaking during an engagement with Parliament’s Agriculture Committee on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (Photos by Maria Wamala)
By Dedan Kimathi
Journalists @New Vision
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State Minister for Animal Husbandry, Bright Rwamirama, has blamed a section of local political leaders for frustrating government programmes.
He made these remarks on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, during an engagement with Parliament’s Agriculture Committee, chaired by Vice Chairperson Grania Hope Nakazibwe (Mubende District, NRM).
Also present were Ben Kumumanya, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Local Government, and Victoria Rusoke, the Minister of State for Local Government.
Discussions focused on the delivery of agricultural extension services. According to submissions, the agriculture ministry currently employs 4,304 extension workers to provide technical guidance to farmers and enhance productivity.
Of these, 2,600 have been equipped with motorcycles but still lack essential tools such as soil testing kits, demonstration materials, extension kits, and smartphones. Despite the need for an additional 4,000 extension workers, Rwamirama expressed concerns over political interference.
“We have given them (extension workers) but sometimes the politicians want to ride these motorcycles and take them away. Local government politicians sometimes use some of these facilities. I had a very odd situation in Kapchorwa, where actually the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) took away the Land Rover for the veterinary officer. Yet, we knew we had given that Land Rover to that veterinary officer because of the terrain of Kapchorwa. So, we had to withdraw a Land Rover and put a condition,” Rwamirama said.
Ben Kumumanya, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government and Victoria Rusoke Minister of State for Local Government during the meeting.
However, he added that in areas where chief administrative officers (CAOs) are actively involved, extension workers are performing their duties effectively. He explained that while they supervise the workers, the power to oversee them is delegated to the CAOs, who then assign responsibility to sub-county chiefs to ensure proper service delivery.
Historically, he noted that when the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) was established, extension services were somewhat privatised under the assumption that farmers would demand these services from agricultural, fisheries, and veterinary officers. However, along the way, this approach proved challenging.
“Along the way, we found that NAADS coordinators were taking money in workshops and spending money. Farmers were not being assisted. So, we established extension services under local government, and we have been moving on very well with them. For extension service delivery, we have not reached a point like Europeans in the first world, where a farmer is looking at farming as a business. Some of our people look at farming as a way of surviving. So, we have to push,” he explained.
Legal framework
Section 105 of the Local Government Act mandates the Ministry of Local Government to oversee the coordination of services at the local level.
Ben Kumumanya, the permanent secretary of the local government ministry, explained that extension workers are recruited by district service commissions (DSC) with support from the agriculture ministry.
Parliaments Agriculture Committee Vice Chairperson Grania Hope Nakazibwe and Member of Parliament for Budaama South Dr. Emmanuel Otala.
“When recruiting a head of department, the rules stipulate that a higher-level official from the relevant ministry must participate in the selection process. For lower-level positions, such as U-4, senior officials in the districts are involved. Once recruited by the DSC, extension workers are handed over to the CAO, who deploys them to sub-counties, town councils, and divisions. Their wages are paid directly by the national government,” Kumumanya explained.
Within this structure, these workers, classified as agriculture or veterinary officers at scale U-4, are supervised by assistant commissioners.
Currently, there are over 100 fully recruited district production officers at the rank of assistant commissioner, scale U-1E, who oversee the entire process down to the lower levels.
Political interference in agro-processing
To emphasise his point, Rwamirama noted that while the establishment of agro-processing facilities should be based on scientific factors such as suitability, availability of utilities, and raw materials, some politicians have exploited the programme for their own gain.
“Now the politicians decide where to put it. They are not looking at the scientific way as I have explained. For them, they want ‘I have brought the facility here’. Now the facility is there, it is not working because there is no power, water, and it is not accessible,” he said.
He was responding to queries from the committee's vice chairperson, Hope Grania Nakazibwe, and Anthony Alden Esenu (Kapelebyong, NRM) regarding the criteria for establishing these factories. They cited a cereal value addition plant in Busia, which the committee had visited and found to be facing a shortage of raw materials.