Strengthen Supervision! Ankole Citizens Challenge Government.
During a Citizen’s Manifesto consultation meeting in Nyandozo village, Bumbaire Sub County, Bushenyi District, on 5th August 2015, citizens challenged Uganda Government to strengthen its supervision if services are to be delivered properly, especially in the Health centers, in road construction, UPE and Agriculture sectors. Attended by over 60 citizens who included Religious leaders, Cultural Leaders, youths, farmers, women leaders, Political leaders, civil servants, business community; the community meeting also reviewed the 2011-2016 Citizens Manifesto and developed new demands for the 2016-2021 term of office for the incoming government.
The expiry of the 2011-2016 Citizens Manifesto generated in 2010 by the Uganda Governance Monitoring Platform (UGMP) dictates the generation of the 2016-2021 Citizens Manifesto. For this to happen there need be a comprehensive review of the Citizen Manifesto to identify the key achievements as well as point out the missed opportunities.
Moderated by Ms. Dorothy Kesiime a Program Officer at Western Ankole Civil Society Organization’s Forum (WACSOF), citizens freely expressed both their satisfaction and dissatisfaction with government’s performance in regards to the 2011-2016 Citizens Manifesto. Whereas a number of issues were considered addressed, citizens felt that government still needs to invest more resources to ensure that all citizens easily access services, particularly health services, water and electricity. One citizen lamented, “Water is pumped from our own swamp, but still we can’t afford to connect it to our homes because of high connection costs”. Citizens challenged Government to improve the supervision and monitoring of its workers because most sectors were performing poorly especially the roads, education and Health because of shoddy work done by the contractors and government workers.
Members in the meeting called upon government to commit more resources to ensure the 2011-2016 demands are fulfilled – Health services, quality education, accessible water services, improve agriculture, accessible financial services, better roads, rural electrification, and accessible markets. Additionally, Citizens also made new demands for 2016-2021 term – Maintaining peace, re-instating graduated tax, fighting corruption, protecting child rights and combating Gender Based Violence.
The 2016-2021 Citizens Manifesto will by the end of this August 2015 be generated from the 14 regions of Uganda that negotiated independence and these include; Buganda, Bunyoro, Ankole, Sebei, Karamoja, Tooro, Bugisu, Busoga, Kigezi, Bukedi, Teso, Acholi, Lango, and West Nile.
Story by Robert Ninyesiga
