Kagadi approves sh29.9b budget for 2018/19

Kagadi district council has approved a sh29.9b budget for the financial year 2018/19.

The annual budget estimate was presented on Friday by the district secretary for finance, administration and investment, Robert Kanyaihamba, during the council session held at the district council main hall in Kagadi town council.

The council session presided over by the district council speaker Muwonge Magezi approved sh29.9b which will be allocated to different sectors and departments as per the set priority areas.

In his presentation, Kainyaihamba said emphasis will be put on health, road infrastructure, agriculture and education. Other approval plans were in areas of capacity building, revenue enhancement, disaster preparedness, recruitment and operational costs.

On behalf of councillors , Livingstone Akugizbwe, the councillor for Ndaiga sub-county, moved a motion to disassociate themselves from Kagadi administration block activities over matters of land ownership, shoddy work and accountability issues. He accused the former district engineer, Abel Mwebaze and the former chief administrative officer (CAO), Robert Abenaitwe.

The motion was not supported by some section of the councillors, proposing no further debates on the issue and they suggested for the intervention of local government minister, Tom Butime.

It should be noted that the central government disbursed over sh400m towards the renovation of the multi-billion Kagadi district administration block, where councillors have been protesting against shoddy work, lack of accountability and misuse of the funds under Abenaitwe's reign.

They allege that the land on which the administration block is housed belongs to Bunyoro kingdom and managed by a self-help project. They fear that they could be evicted anytime and they want Butime to intervene.

Swezen Wamala who represented the elderly, asked the speaker to convene another council session next week to deliberate on financial issues, but Magezi said there was no money to facilitate rescheduling of the meeting.

The council also approved sh200m for the renovation of Kagadi district community hall.