District leaders asked to supervise NGO activities

Nov 15, 2013

DISTRICTS have been directed to supervise Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)’ activities and ensure that they are integrated into national development strategies

By Carol Kasujja and Brenda Aheebwa

DISTRICTS have been directed to supervise Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)’ activities and ensure that they are integrated into national development strategies.

Internal affairs ministry permanent secretary, Steven Kagoda, said monitoring should be done through district NGO monitoring committees in line with the NGO Policy 2010 so as to help link the strategy for poverty alleviation with the grassroots.

“The ministry of internal affairs attaches great importance to the NGO sector for the enormous role it plays in improving the lives of all Ugandans,” he pointed out.

Kagoda’s remarks were contained in a speech read for him by Josephine Onya, the internal affairs ministry undersecretary, who represented him at a workshop aimed at building capacity and operationalizing NGO monitoring structures at Silver Springs Hotel in Bugolobi yesterday. 

He advised members of the NGO board to amass a working relationship between the government and NGOs at the government, local and national level. “I strongly believe that the workshop objectives have been realized and that working relationships have been laid down and that all stake holders are going to hold dear the agreed way forward.” 

Osinde Owor, an NGO board member said that donors used to give funds to government that would in turn distribute it to NGOs which is not the case today, hence the aim of the workshop was to ensure that NGOs’ activities are monitored and resources that are given to them are properly used. 

“We discovered that NGOs play a tremendous role in development of the country and hence therefore they should be part of the district development because some of them don’t seem to share their resources,” noted Osinde.

Various stake holders advised the NGO board to develop guidelines, procedures and standards for monitoring activities of NGOs in their area of jurisdiction so as to avoid cases where they claim that they work in the area and yet some could be having various motives. 

The workshop brought together various stakeholders Kampala being the main center of attention where most NGOs are based.

Osinde said that the internal affairs ministry was putting up strong measures that would help in governing NGOs in the country because most of them were engaging in crafty activities. “Most NGOs have ill intentions and the board has urged district and Sub-County NGO monitoring committees to register all the NGOs in the area.”

The NGO Board under the internal affairs ministry is mandated to register, regulate, coordinate, monitor and oversee all the activities of all NGOs in the country as provided for in the NGO policy of 2010 which with the help of other stake holders is geared towards building a better relationship.

The mission of the NGO board is to provide an enabling environment for the empowerment of the NGO sector and this can be achieved with the help of having a good working relation.

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