Northern Uganda NGOs face probe
Jun 28, 2010
THE Prime Minister, Apolo Nsibambi, has directed the internal affairs ministry to compile a list of all NGOs operating in the north, which have not been accounting for funds meant for the Peace, Recovery and Development Plan (PRDP).
By Mary Karugaba
THE Prime Minister, Apolo Nsibambi, has directed the internal affairs ministry to compile a list of all NGOs operating in the north, which have not been accounting for funds meant for the Peace, Recovery and Development Plan (PRDP).
The Prime Minister said the names should be forwarded to the NGO Board for action.
“I am giving you two months to take action on the NGOs that do not indicate the amount they have spent, where they have spent it and the targeted outputs. They should show cause why they should not be deregistered,†Nsibambi said.
The premier expressed concern that although development partners have injected billions of money into the Peace, Recovery and Development Plan, some NGOs have never accounted for the funds, making it difficult for the Government to monitor and track the donors’ contribution.
According to Nsibambi, part of the 70% donors’ contribution to PRDP is channelled through NGOs.
Nsibambi made the remarks during the third PRDP monitoring committee meeting at Hotel Africana in Kampala yesterday. The meeting was attended by Karamoja affairs state minister Mrs. Janet Museveni, the district chairpersons of the districts covered by the plan, MPs from northern and Karamoja regions, donors and civil society organisations.
The stakeholders were reviewing the progress made in the implementation of the PRDP during its first year. The implementation process started last year with Government disbursing sh76b to the beneficiary districts.
The PRDP is a post-conflict recovery plan designed to eradicate poverty in 55 districts of northern and eastern Uganda after more than 20 years of conflict and population displacement.
Briefing the members on the progress, the permanent secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Pius Bigirimana, said 1,000km of roads have been constructed, 722 classrooms, 275 teachers’ houses and 203 health centres built.
He said the Lango sub-region was the best performer with 76%, followed by Gulu, Karamoja, Teso, Bunyoro and Bukedi at the bottom with 46%.
Mrs. Museveni said the Government has embarked on a major strategy of providing water for production to the people of Karamoja to ensure food security and enable total transformation in the region.
“The major prong of our strategy for getting Karamoja on a sure road to development is water. But this time, we are taking water beyond provision for domestic consumption and large dams for cattle,†she said.
Mrs. Museveni also told the meeting that plans are underway to dig small valley dams in every parish in Karamoja, which will be strategically located to benefit the communities under the PRPD.
On the disarmament exercise, she was hopeful that Karamoja would experience peace and real development, particularly with recent involvement of the communities in their own protection through the recruitment of Karimojong to assist the UPDF.
The development partners, represented by Theophane Nikyema, the United Nations resident coordinator, applauded the transition made from humanitarian and recovery efforts to long-term development, saying it had become a reality in northern Uganda.
“This is a remarkable positive change in a comparatively short time. This is no small feat and the Government deserves praise for this,†she said.
But a number of district chairpersons complained of late release of funds, which they said had made it difficult for them to implement the activities in time.
THE Prime Minister, Apolo Nsibambi, has directed the internal affairs ministry to compile a list of all NGOs operating in the north, which have not been accounting for funds meant for the Peace, Recovery and Development Plan (PRDP).
The Prime Minister said the names should be forwarded to the NGO Board for action.
“I am giving you two months to take action on the NGOs that do not indicate the amount they have spent, where they have spent it and the targeted outputs. They should show cause why they should not be deregistered,†Nsibambi said.
The premier expressed concern that although development partners have injected billions of money into the Peace, Recovery and Development Plan, some NGOs have never accounted for the funds, making it difficult for the Government to monitor and track the donors’ contribution.
According to Nsibambi, part of the 70% donors’ contribution to PRDP is channelled through NGOs.
Nsibambi made the remarks during the third PRDP monitoring committee meeting at Hotel Africana in Kampala yesterday. The meeting was attended by Karamoja affairs state minister Mrs. Janet Museveni, the district chairpersons of the districts covered by the plan, MPs from northern and Karamoja regions, donors and civil society organisations.
The stakeholders were reviewing the progress made in the implementation of the PRDP during its first year. The implementation process started last year with Government disbursing sh76b to the beneficiary districts.
The PRDP is a post-conflict recovery plan designed to eradicate poverty in 55 districts of northern and eastern Uganda after more than 20 years of conflict and population displacement.
Briefing the members on the progress, the permanent secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Pius Bigirimana, said 1,000km of roads have been constructed, 722 classrooms, 275 teachers’ houses and 203 health centres built.
He said the Lango sub-region was the best performer with 76%, followed by Gulu, Karamoja, Teso, Bunyoro and Bukedi at the bottom with 46%.
Mrs. Museveni said the Government has embarked on a major strategy of providing water for production to the people of Karamoja to ensure food security and enable total transformation in the region.
“The major prong of our strategy for getting Karamoja on a sure road to development is water. But this time, we are taking water beyond provision for domestic consumption and large dams for cattle,†she said.
Mrs. Museveni also told the meeting that plans are underway to dig small valley dams in every parish in Karamoja, which will be strategically located to benefit the communities under the PRPD.
On the disarmament exercise, she was hopeful that Karamoja would experience peace and real development, particularly with recent involvement of the communities in their own protection through the recruitment of Karimojong to assist the UPDF.
The development partners, represented by Theophane Nikyema, the United Nations resident coordinator, applauded the transition made from humanitarian and recovery efforts to long-term development, saying it had become a reality in northern Uganda.
“This is a remarkable positive change in a comparatively short time. This is no small feat and the Government deserves praise for this,†she said.
But a number of district chairpersons complained of late release of funds, which they said had made it difficult for them to implement the activities in time.