District status improves social services in Bukwo
Jan 14, 2009
BUKWO is a relatively new district. It was carved from Kapchorwa in July 2005. Reuben Chelimo is the LC5 Chairman
BUKWO is a relatively new district. It was carved from Kapchorwa in July 2005. Reuben Chelimo, the LC5 Chairman tells Frederick Womakuyu how the district is performing.
You campaigned for district status for Bukwo. What was your motivation?
When Bukwo was under Kapchorwa, people could not access vital social services. The roads were impassable; people used to walk long distances in search of schools, hospitals and markets for their goods.
We used to either go to Mbale via Karamoja or to Kenya to do our shopping because the road to Kapchorwa was impassable.
We believed that if Bukwo became a district, service delivery would improve and that is what has happened. We have opened health centres in every sub-county and are building schools.
As the first chairman of Bukwo, what have you done for the people?
Leadership is a process and so far we are moving on well. We are promoting Universal Primary Education. When we started the district, we had only 2,000 pupils in school, but through sensitisation, the number has increased to 27,000.
We are also supporting Universal Secondary Education by building more schools and creating awareness among the people. Enrollment has shot up to 62% from 45% in 2006.
Provision of clean, safe water to the people has been another primary concern and we have managed to cover about 52% of the population.
The road network has improved, with development of feeder roads to all the sub-counties, but our biggest problem is the Kapchorwa—Bukwo highway that leads to the Kenyan border. It is in a bad state and needs tarmacking. The President promised us that by July 2009, rehabilitation would have started.
You said the President gave the district sh100m. What have you used the money for?
When Bukwo was elevated to district status, we needed a town council. The Government gave us an unconditional grant. We used the money for vital projects like roads and with the balance on construction of the local council headquarters.
We also targeted to build the district headquarters. When President Museveni came to Bukwo in 2006, he promised us sh100m. We also raised sh36m and have started constructing the district headquarters.
How has the state of the Kapchorwa—Bukwo Highway affected delivery of services?
You cannot talk about development without accessibility. The road has affected business. Our major shopping centre is Mbale and when it rains, we cannot access it.
This is a highway which also serves Kenya, yet vehicles carrying goods to Uganda cannot pass there and have to go through Malaba. When people fall sick, the road makes referral difficult and we have lost many people as a result.
Recently works minister, John Nasasira inspected the road and promised to work on it.
What is the main economic activity in Bukwo?
Our major economic activity is farming. We grow maize, barley, beans, sunflower and wheat on large scale. Sometime back, we were hit by heavy rains and all our wheat was destroyed — the farmers were discouraged and abandoned it for sometime. But now they are growing wheat again.
Our biggest problem is accessing markets due to the poor road network. We export most of the maize to Kenya, but if the Government works on the road, we shall be able to sell it within Uganda.
Another problem is we do not have a combine harvester so most of the produce rots in the gardens.
How has your district fared with the National Agricultural Advisory Services?
People have adopted new farming techniques like using tractors and ox-ploughs to cultivate. Farmers have also organised themselves in groups that have undertaken exotic livestock projects and this has improved their income.
The Government recently rewarded us by increasing our budget from about sh273m in the previous season to about sh400m. We shall use this money to initiate poultry, potato and banana projects.
New districts struggle to raise revenue. How is Bukwo raising funds?
It is a big problem, but we appreciate the introduction of the local service tax. However, we have also introduced building, quarry and charcoal taxes. We do not consider these a sustainable revenue base, but that is the only way we can survive.
We have proposed a tax to protect the environment. If the Government approves, we shall start enforcing it.
We have also discovered that Bukwo has some minerals like gold and limestone. If mining is feasible, it will be another source of income for the district.
But for the time being, we are depending on grants from the central government to work on the roads, water and other services.
Recently Bukwo has been experiencing security problems, particularly cattle rustling by the Pokot of Kenya. How have you handled the situation?
Security has improved a lot. The Government has deployed the army in the area and cattle rustling is no longer a big problem.
The challenge is that the Kenyan government has been reluctant to control the Pokot warriors. We request our government and that of Kenya to negotiate and solve the problem.
The district has also been experiencing political rifts among the area politicians. How have you resolved this?
When a district is divided on political fronts, there will never be meaningful development. We are trying to solve the problem through dialogue.
You campaigned for district status for Bukwo. What was your motivation?
When Bukwo was under Kapchorwa, people could not access vital social services. The roads were impassable; people used to walk long distances in search of schools, hospitals and markets for their goods.
We used to either go to Mbale via Karamoja or to Kenya to do our shopping because the road to Kapchorwa was impassable.
We believed that if Bukwo became a district, service delivery would improve and that is what has happened. We have opened health centres in every sub-county and are building schools.
As the first chairman of Bukwo, what have you done for the people?
Leadership is a process and so far we are moving on well. We are promoting Universal Primary Education. When we started the district, we had only 2,000 pupils in school, but through sensitisation, the number has increased to 27,000.
We are also supporting Universal Secondary Education by building more schools and creating awareness among the people. Enrollment has shot up to 62% from 45% in 2006.
Provision of clean, safe water to the people has been another primary concern and we have managed to cover about 52% of the population.
The road network has improved, with development of feeder roads to all the sub-counties, but our biggest problem is the Kapchorwa—Bukwo highway that leads to the Kenyan border. It is in a bad state and needs tarmacking. The President promised us that by July 2009, rehabilitation would have started.
You said the President gave the district sh100m. What have you used the money for?
When Bukwo was elevated to district status, we needed a town council. The Government gave us an unconditional grant. We used the money for vital projects like roads and with the balance on construction of the local council headquarters.
We also targeted to build the district headquarters. When President Museveni came to Bukwo in 2006, he promised us sh100m. We also raised sh36m and have started constructing the district headquarters.
How has the state of the Kapchorwa—Bukwo Highway affected delivery of services?
You cannot talk about development without accessibility. The road has affected business. Our major shopping centre is Mbale and when it rains, we cannot access it.
This is a highway which also serves Kenya, yet vehicles carrying goods to Uganda cannot pass there and have to go through Malaba. When people fall sick, the road makes referral difficult and we have lost many people as a result.
Recently works minister, John Nasasira inspected the road and promised to work on it.
What is the main economic activity in Bukwo?
Our major economic activity is farming. We grow maize, barley, beans, sunflower and wheat on large scale. Sometime back, we were hit by heavy rains and all our wheat was destroyed — the farmers were discouraged and abandoned it for sometime. But now they are growing wheat again.
Our biggest problem is accessing markets due to the poor road network. We export most of the maize to Kenya, but if the Government works on the road, we shall be able to sell it within Uganda.
Another problem is we do not have a combine harvester so most of the produce rots in the gardens.
How has your district fared with the National Agricultural Advisory Services?
People have adopted new farming techniques like using tractors and ox-ploughs to cultivate. Farmers have also organised themselves in groups that have undertaken exotic livestock projects and this has improved their income.
The Government recently rewarded us by increasing our budget from about sh273m in the previous season to about sh400m. We shall use this money to initiate poultry, potato and banana projects.
New districts struggle to raise revenue. How is Bukwo raising funds?
It is a big problem, but we appreciate the introduction of the local service tax. However, we have also introduced building, quarry and charcoal taxes. We do not consider these a sustainable revenue base, but that is the only way we can survive.
We have proposed a tax to protect the environment. If the Government approves, we shall start enforcing it.
We have also discovered that Bukwo has some minerals like gold and limestone. If mining is feasible, it will be another source of income for the district.
But for the time being, we are depending on grants from the central government to work on the roads, water and other services.
Recently Bukwo has been experiencing security problems, particularly cattle rustling by the Pokot of Kenya. How have you handled the situation?
Security has improved a lot. The Government has deployed the army in the area and cattle rustling is no longer a big problem.
The challenge is that the Kenyan government has been reluctant to control the Pokot warriors. We request our government and that of Kenya to negotiate and solve the problem.
The district has also been experiencing political rifts among the area politicians. How have you resolved this?
When a district is divided on political fronts, there will never be meaningful development. We are trying to solve the problem through dialogue.