Koboko upgrades roads
Aug 15, 2011
About 30 residents of Omodo parish in Kuluba sub-county, Koboko district on Wednesday uprooted trees and cleared grass in an effort to open up roads for customers and service providers.
BY RICHARD DRASIMAKU
About 30 residents of Omodo parish in Kuluba sub-county, Koboko district on Wednesday uprooted trees and cleared grass in an effort to open up roads for customers and service providers.
They said the bad footpaths snaking through the thick vegetation had barred agricultural extension workers and customers from reaching their area.
The residents are part of over 1,000 farmers working under the voucher-for-work programme which was created in a tripartite arrangement involving the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), Uganda National Agro-input Dealers’ Association (UNADA) and Koboko District Farmers Association (KODFA).
Isaac Todoko, the chairperson of KODFA, said the farmers, organised in 65 groups, opened 1km of road per group every season.
He said each farmer was issued a voucher of sh4,000 daily and at the time of planting, they exchange the vouchers for farm inputs such as tools and seeds supplied by UNADA to sub-counties.
UNADA then took the vouchers to DRC and received cash. The farmers, however, complained that UNADA sometimes spoils the arrangement by supplying inputs late when the planting season has passed.
Todoko said despite these challenges, the farmers were expected to open 780km of road throughout Koboko by the end of the three-year programme.
To complement these efforts, DRC will construct culverts and stalls in Pamodo, Ojipaku, Cakulia, Bamure and Edranigo markets.
About 30 residents of Omodo parish in Kuluba sub-county, Koboko district on Wednesday uprooted trees and cleared grass in an effort to open up roads for customers and service providers.
They said the bad footpaths snaking through the thick vegetation had barred agricultural extension workers and customers from reaching their area.
The residents are part of over 1,000 farmers working under the voucher-for-work programme which was created in a tripartite arrangement involving the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), Uganda National Agro-input Dealers’ Association (UNADA) and Koboko District Farmers Association (KODFA).
Isaac Todoko, the chairperson of KODFA, said the farmers, organised in 65 groups, opened 1km of road per group every season.
He said each farmer was issued a voucher of sh4,000 daily and at the time of planting, they exchange the vouchers for farm inputs such as tools and seeds supplied by UNADA to sub-counties.
UNADA then took the vouchers to DRC and received cash. The farmers, however, complained that UNADA sometimes spoils the arrangement by supplying inputs late when the planting season has passed.
Todoko said despite these challenges, the farmers were expected to open 780km of road throughout Koboko by the end of the three-year programme.
To complement these efforts, DRC will construct culverts and stalls in Pamodo, Ojipaku, Cakulia, Bamure and Edranigo markets.