MPs put disaster minister put to task
Apr 09, 2008
PARLIAMENT yesterday passed a report criticising the Government for the botched supply of seeds and farm implements to internally displaced persons in the north and north eastern regions.
By Cyprian Musoke
and John Odyek
PARLIAMENT yesterday passed a report criticising the Government for the botched supply of seeds and farm implements to internally displaced persons in the north and north eastern regions.
After two weeks of heated debate, MPs urged disaster preparedness minister Tarsis Kabwegyere to own up the mistakes and institute reforms.
At one point, Kabwegyere lost his cool as he pleaded to be heard, amid heckling from the opposition.
Opposition MPs from the north were incensed by remarks that epuripur (a local sorghum brand) that was procured for the displaced persons was staple food in their region, besides being used in brewing.
“I come from Teso region but we have never used epuripur for food,†protested Simon Ross Euku.
Alice Alaso and Betty Ochan said China, which donated sub-standard farm tools, had made Uganda a dumping ground.
In turn, they observed, the Government had made the north a dumping ground.
But Kabwegyere said the Chinese donation was made in good spirit under difficult circumstances and could not be turned away.
Jessica Alupo demanded that displaced persons be respected, while Patrick Amuriat said companies implicated in the scam be punished as well as the supervisors of the project.
Oduman Okello said unsupplied seeds worth sh2.6b remained undelivered and he wondered how the Government would recover the money.
Finally owning up, Kabwegyere said resettlement of displaced persons needed the participation of everyone.
He castigated district officials and MPs who did not care about the deliveries and their storage.
In its report, the agriculture committee noted that although the items were for emergency, not all of them had been delivered at the time of the probe.
Investigations into the quality of seeds and farm implements distributed by the Prime Minister’s Office were prompted by complaints from the Aswa MP, Reagan Okumu, in July 2007.
Okumu said infertile seeds and fake farm implements had been distributed to camps in northern Uganda.
and John Odyek
PARLIAMENT yesterday passed a report criticising the Government for the botched supply of seeds and farm implements to internally displaced persons in the north and north eastern regions.
After two weeks of heated debate, MPs urged disaster preparedness minister Tarsis Kabwegyere to own up the mistakes and institute reforms.
At one point, Kabwegyere lost his cool as he pleaded to be heard, amid heckling from the opposition.
Opposition MPs from the north were incensed by remarks that epuripur (a local sorghum brand) that was procured for the displaced persons was staple food in their region, besides being used in brewing.
“I come from Teso region but we have never used epuripur for food,†protested Simon Ross Euku.
Alice Alaso and Betty Ochan said China, which donated sub-standard farm tools, had made Uganda a dumping ground.
In turn, they observed, the Government had made the north a dumping ground.
But Kabwegyere said the Chinese donation was made in good spirit under difficult circumstances and could not be turned away.
Jessica Alupo demanded that displaced persons be respected, while Patrick Amuriat said companies implicated in the scam be punished as well as the supervisors of the project.
Oduman Okello said unsupplied seeds worth sh2.6b remained undelivered and he wondered how the Government would recover the money.
Finally owning up, Kabwegyere said resettlement of displaced persons needed the participation of everyone.
He castigated district officials and MPs who did not care about the deliveries and their storage.
In its report, the agriculture committee noted that although the items were for emergency, not all of them had been delivered at the time of the probe.
Investigations into the quality of seeds and farm implements distributed by the Prime Minister’s Office were prompted by complaints from the Aswa MP, Reagan Okumu, in July 2007.
Okumu said infertile seeds and fake farm implements had been distributed to camps in northern Uganda.