Guard govt funds, M7 tells K’jong leaders

Oct 07, 2007

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has appealed to local leaders in Karamoja to protect funds meant for social services and poverty alleviation programmes. He told leaders of Kotido and Kaabong that the sh40b released to the five districts in Karamoja since 2003 for development could have had a remarkable im

By Nathan Etengu

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has appealed to local leaders in Karamoja to protect funds meant for social services and poverty alleviation programmes. He told leaders of Kotido and Kaabong that the sh40b released to the five districts in Karamoja since 2003 for development could have had a remarkable impact if it was utilised well.

“You have the power. You should therefore look after this money. This is the principle of decentralisation,”
The President observed that while the objective of the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF) was to fight poverty, some of the funds were used to construct schools, social centres and fences at health centres.

“How does a social centre or a fence for that matter become an income generating project? Do you use it for organising dances?” Museveni asked.
“Unless you were looking for contracts to supply some of the materials, I do not see how such projects could have taken priority.”

He explained that NUSAF had duplicated some activities funded by the Government under different programmes.
“We are going to have a Cabinet meeting to redesign this programme to focus on household income-generation and homestead improvement.”

Museveni said the Government, with financial support from the European Union, would construct a security road from Kapchorwa district to the Kaabong-Kitgum border.

“I have been dreaming about driving along the road from Chepsikunya to Pire. I am happy it is now in the offing and work is soon starting with the section from Chepsikunya Giriki River.”

He noted that the road would also enable the Government deal with insecurity along the Uganda-Kenya border.
The State Minister for Karamoja affairs, Aston Kajara, said a design and survey for the road had already been carried out.

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