Poverty funds have assisted farmers
Jul 13, 2008
I refer to allegations by the Mawokota North MP, Peter Mutuluza, before the parliamentary accounts committee (PAC) that Amelia Kyambade, the principal private secretary to the President, squandered public funds amounting to sh125m that were meant for poverty alleviation.
By Richard Muhinda
I refer to allegations by the Mawokota North MP, Peter Mutuluza, before the parliamentary accounts committee (PAC) that Amelia Kyambade, the principal private secretary to the President, squandered public funds amounting to sh125m that were meant for poverty alleviation.
Mutuluza further alleged that Kityo Mutebi, a former MP, squandered sh113m on a similar programme. The accusations are baseless and unfounded.
Appearing before PAC to respond to audit report financial year 2005/06, I highlighted the achievements of the President’s initiative.
The document that I submitted, which Mutuluza referred to, had a list of model farms and the lead farmers and change agents.
Among the beneficiaries is the Nakyesanjja community, from which Kyambadde’s demonstration farm was selected by the Poverty Alleviation Department. The farm received improved in-puts worth sh19.9m and not sh125m as alleged by Mutuluza.
In the same financial year, in-puts worth sh6.3m and not sh113m as alleged were spent to install fruit dryers at Kityo’s demonstration farm in Mpigi district.
All the funds spent on the procurement of the in-puts were properly accounted for by the department. As is the practice, my audit teams inspected the Nakyesanjja farm and found that the items budgeted, which included improved seeds, cow and poultry sheds for demonstration, water wells, pineapple suckers and in-calf heifers were bought. Similarly, the fruit dryers were also bought and installed at Kityo’s farm.
The President, in accordance with Article 171 of the Constitution, established a Department of Poverty Alleviation and placed it in State House to improve household income through growing high value crops and raring quality animals on small acreage under his direct supervision.
The President issued operational guide-lines to the department to establish model parishes in selected districts on the basis of his recommendations. He drew a line between the Bonna Bagaggawale (Prosperity-for-All) programme and the Poverty Alleviation Department in which the former would implement its macro-work plans through the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS). The department is to fulfill the President’s outstanding pledges in a bid to alleviate poverty in some areas on micro level and to provide a model for transformation. The President is committed to continue with his initiatives until Bonna Bagaggawale covers most villages in the country.
According to the President, initially NAADS would address six homesteads per parish, while his model covers whole parishes. He observes that the bonna bagaggawale programme and his idea of establishing model farms in selected districts are complimentary efforts and should not, therefore, be construed to mean the same.
The department’s emphasis is on training communities to scientifically engage in market-led farming on small holdings to realise meaningful incomes.
The Poverty Alleviation Department promotes horticultural and fish farming in order to earn a high income from a limited acreage.
Following the presidential guide-lines, the department worked out criteria to guide the implementation of his initiative.
The department identifies a village and a lead-farmer for establishment of a model farm. With the concept of a lead- farmer, the department sets up demonstration farms to practically show communities how to get out of poverty through market-led production.
The department does not hand over cash to lead-farmers. Instead, improved inputs are bought and given out to beneficiaries or lead-farmers. The extension staff use these in-puts to train the communities.
The President’s initiative has registered substantial success in some districts. One such story is Ruharo parish in Bushenyi district which was set up by the President set as a model parish. It has transformed the lives of 630 homesteads.
The writer is the Permanent Secretary to the State House
Comptroller
I refer to allegations by the Mawokota North MP, Peter Mutuluza, before the parliamentary accounts committee (PAC) that Amelia Kyambade, the principal private secretary to the President, squandered public funds amounting to sh125m that were meant for poverty alleviation.
Mutuluza further alleged that Kityo Mutebi, a former MP, squandered sh113m on a similar programme. The accusations are baseless and unfounded.
Appearing before PAC to respond to audit report financial year 2005/06, I highlighted the achievements of the President’s initiative.
The document that I submitted, which Mutuluza referred to, had a list of model farms and the lead farmers and change agents.
Among the beneficiaries is the Nakyesanjja community, from which Kyambadde’s demonstration farm was selected by the Poverty Alleviation Department. The farm received improved in-puts worth sh19.9m and not sh125m as alleged by Mutuluza.
In the same financial year, in-puts worth sh6.3m and not sh113m as alleged were spent to install fruit dryers at Kityo’s demonstration farm in Mpigi district.
All the funds spent on the procurement of the in-puts were properly accounted for by the department. As is the practice, my audit teams inspected the Nakyesanjja farm and found that the items budgeted, which included improved seeds, cow and poultry sheds for demonstration, water wells, pineapple suckers and in-calf heifers were bought. Similarly, the fruit dryers were also bought and installed at Kityo’s farm.
The President, in accordance with Article 171 of the Constitution, established a Department of Poverty Alleviation and placed it in State House to improve household income through growing high value crops and raring quality animals on small acreage under his direct supervision.
The President issued operational guide-lines to the department to establish model parishes in selected districts on the basis of his recommendations. He drew a line between the Bonna Bagaggawale (Prosperity-for-All) programme and the Poverty Alleviation Department in which the former would implement its macro-work plans through the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS). The department is to fulfill the President’s outstanding pledges in a bid to alleviate poverty in some areas on micro level and to provide a model for transformation. The President is committed to continue with his initiatives until Bonna Bagaggawale covers most villages in the country.
According to the President, initially NAADS would address six homesteads per parish, while his model covers whole parishes. He observes that the bonna bagaggawale programme and his idea of establishing model farms in selected districts are complimentary efforts and should not, therefore, be construed to mean the same.
The department’s emphasis is on training communities to scientifically engage in market-led farming on small holdings to realise meaningful incomes.
The Poverty Alleviation Department promotes horticultural and fish farming in order to earn a high income from a limited acreage.
Following the presidential guide-lines, the department worked out criteria to guide the implementation of his initiative.
The department identifies a village and a lead-farmer for establishment of a model farm. With the concept of a lead- farmer, the department sets up demonstration farms to practically show communities how to get out of poverty through market-led production.
The department does not hand over cash to lead-farmers. Instead, improved inputs are bought and given out to beneficiaries or lead-farmers. The extension staff use these in-puts to train the communities.
The President’s initiative has registered substantial success in some districts. One such story is Ruharo parish in Bushenyi district which was set up by the President set as a model parish. It has transformed the lives of 630 homesteads.
The writer is the Permanent Secretary to the State House
Comptroller