Ms Rose Namayanja Nsereko, the deputy secretary general of the National Resistance Movement, hands over the ignition keys of one of the tractors to leaders from Luweero, Nakaseke and Nakasongoladistricts on October 18. PHOTO | DAN WANDERA
The government has unveiled an affirmative action plan targeting the three Greater Luweero districts of Nakaseke, Nakasongola and Luweero.
The plan seeks to bridge missing gaps in the economic and social welfare of residents who bore the brunt of the five-year guerilla war that brought President Museveni to power nearly four decades ago.
While the total budgetary allocation for the plan is yet to be disclosed, the Monitor has learnt that part of it will go towards establishing of business enterprises in the districts.
The implementation will be through existing government structures.
Ms Rose Namayanja Nsereko, the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party deputy secretary general, told the Monitor that the new social – economic transformation plan will go alongside the existing government projects.
“We already have on board the concerned government departments, including the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Works. Government has already identified some of the missing gaps that informed the decision for the affirmative action plan,” she said.
She was flagging off the first batch of farm equipment that included three tractors at a stakeholder sensitisation meeting held at Nakaseke District headquarters on October 18.
She said the projects listed under the action plan are for all the people of the Greater Luweero District without any discrimination.
“We shall have demonstration farms with high end mechanised systems, including an irrigation plant for each of the districts. We shall also have two-mother gardens established under the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA),” she explained.
Ms Namayanja said about 70 percent of the projects target boosting income generation at household level.
“We are not saying the government had forgotten the Greater Luweero area but the intervention plan was reached after several assessments. Government is taking into consideration the mindset change programme. Our people have to work hard,” she explained.
“We have one of the largest poultry farms in the country but the maize for the feed comes from Busoga and not Luweero. Our people are not taking advantage of some of the investments in the area,” Ms Namayanja, who hails from Nakaseke, added.
Among some of the interventions listed include a business outsource centre already being set up in Luweero District, and establishment of the value chain system for fruits, including pineapples.
Mr Jolly Joe Ocan, the assistant commissioner-in-charge of engineering and mechanisation in the Agriculture ministry, said the farm implements target transforming and boosting agriculture activity in the Greater Luweero.
“This initiative by Maaif is a testament about the government’s continued commitment to empower the farming communities in the Greater Luweero for improved productivity. The provision of these tractors is just the beginning. Agriculture transformation requires effort from all stakeholders,” he said.
While a section of the public say the intervention could be a political gimmick by the ruling government to win back the area, which they lost to the Opposition in the 2021 elections, government officials insist it is a normal government intervention.
Mr Enoch Ssali, a retired educationist and resident of Katikamu Sub-county, said any special programme channelled to Greater Luweero will be addressing the past injustices the area has faced.
“It is not a crime to have an affirmative action plan for Greater Luweero. The districts in Greater Luweero have no single municipality while several promised projects are not on ground. The government pledge for constructing the Luweero District Administration block has stalled for more than 15 years. The recent shift in political loyalty to the Opposition can explain the desperate situation,” he said.
Mr Livingstone Kategaya, a Bush War veteran, attributed the shift in the NRM government strategy for Greater Luweero to mistakes done by some leaders in government who failed to address some of the unfulfilled pledges.
“The NRM government has the ability to address some of the issues that the people of Greater Luweero have been demanding. It is possible that some of the projects could have been sabotaged. It is good news to hear about the affirmative action plan for this area . This will help the NRM government redeem the lost support in some areas,” he said.
Mr Erasto Kibirango, the Luweero District chairperson, said while he is not privy to details in the entire affirmative action plan, he would wish that the government incorporates the unfulfilled pledges, including the Luweero District headquarters building and the roads that need rehabilitation, among others.
Past government interventions
Under the Luweero Triangle Ministry that takes charge of more than 10 districts, the government has since 2008 been trying to pay the Bush War veterans their gratuity and compensation. But several of the war veterans say their respective packages remain unsettled. In June , the government released Shs3.4b to pay a total of 1,269 recipients through the Office of the Prime Minister.
The government has also been channelling funds for the different projects through the Ministry of Luweero Triangle. The projects include the distribution of iron sheets to vulnerable communities and public entities.
Mr Erasto Kibirango, the Luweero District chairperson, said Greater Luweero missed the opportunity to benefit from major reconstruction and rehabilitation just like several other districts that have been affected by wars and disasters.
He said the Entandikwa Scheme, pioneered by the late Minister Kisamba Mugerwa, was targeting the Greater Luweero but was hijacked by Cabinet and funds shared by all districts in Uganda.
“The Luweero Foundation Fund introduced in 1987 shortly after the war only distributed hand hoes and blankets. It will be good if we get an affirmative action plan, he added.
ABOUT GREATER LUWEERO
Greater Luweero, which was the epicentre of the five-year guerrilla war(between 1981 and 1986), experienced significant losses during the conflict . Thousands of lives were lost and the survivors were left to cope with the loss of family members, destruction of property and a shattered local economy. While the war ended in 1986, the impact lingered, affecting generations. Opposition politicians have always accused the government of neglecting the area in the last 38 years it has been in power.
