Fort Portal’s smallest division excels in social services

Dec 27, 2006

FORT PORTAL<br>Being elected into office for two terms as LC3 chairman could be proof that the community has confidence in you and appreciates your services.

FORT PORTAL
By Emmanuel Kajubu

Being elected into office for two terms as LC3 chairman could be proof that the community has confidence in you and appreciates your services.

Brian Kwebiiha, the chairman of South Division in Fort Portal Municipality, boasts of improved services since he was elected chairman in 2001.

When elected into office, Kwebiiha’s plan was to develop the division into one of the leading divisions in Fort Portal and a lot has been done to achieve this.

The division, with a population of 13,624 people, is the smallest of the three divisions that make up the municipality and has become the business centre of Kabarole district.

“I have to ensure that every government programme in the division is implemented and that the community benefits,” Kwebiiha explains.

Under Kwebiiha’s leadership, the division has seen improvement in social services like education and health, which has led to improvement in people’s living conditions. Community-based programmes have also flourished.

Health
Several health centres have been constructed, saving residents the burden of walking long distances to hospitals. Kasusu Health Centre, in the outskirts of the municipality, was set up after the chairman and councillors lobbied for the unit from Kabarole district administration.

The division has also put in place reproductive health care for the youth. According to Kwebiiha, the programme is being implemented with the help of a local NGO, Parents Concern and the Family Planning Association of Uganda.

A counselling department was also set up for the youth and the elderly.
“The women, youth and the elderly have many problems. We have a team that counsels them so that they do not lose hope,” he adds.
The division recently joined the Alliance of Mayors for East and Central Africa, a project which targets the youth in and out of school.

Under the project, the youth are taught skills like metal fabrication and catering, to help them get employment and be able to meet their needs.

Moses Kasolo, 23, a beneficially, is full of praises for the project.
“I lost my parents three years ago and I did not have money to continue with my education. With the metal fabrication skills that I have acquired, I will be able to raise my school fees,” Kasolo said.

Education
Many students in primary and secondary schools have benefited from bursaries offered by the division. The bursaries are given to bright students in the division.
“We give out the bursaries to motivate students to perform better,” he explains.

Under the School Facility Grant, many classrooms and toilets have been constructed in different schools. Kinyamasika, Kabarole and Kyebambe Primary Schools have benefited.

“We are grateful to the administration of the division for having constructed classrooms for our school. We had a big student population but the new classrooms have helped us to address the problem,” said Joseph Rweheru, a teacher at Kinyamasika Primary School.

The division also constructed teachers’ houses worth sh77m at Kinyamasika Primary School and also bought furniture for the school.
“We do not want to see pupils seated on the floor when studying. Such an atmosphere makes the pupils perform poorly,” said Kwebiiha.

Other projects that have been set up include the Home Improvement Campaign, which aims at improving sanitation and food security.

On security, Kwebiiha says the division works with the district internal security office and the Police to enforce law and order.

The chairman has other plans which he hopes to implement before his term expires in 2011.
“We need to construct the division headquarters. The existing structure cannot house all the departments,” he says.

Plans are also underway to construct a bridge at Butangwa in Rwengoma, to improve the road network and set up a washing bay to employ the youth.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});