By Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi
MASAKA-UGADA/NEWSDAY: At last the popular Parish Development Model was been launched in Masaka City yesterday morning at Maple Leaf Hotel.
The launch was by Masaka City Resident Commissioner Ronald Katende, Mayor Florence Namayanja and Town Clerk Godfrey Bamanyisa. Present were Nyendo Mukungwe Member of Parliament and Leader of Opposition Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba, Masaka City Councilors, Masaka City Division chairpersons, heads of department, principal assistant town clerks, city ward agents, chairperson of the ruling party in the city, Katumba Segawa and other leaders.
LOP Mathias Mpuuga said the program is not partisan but all embracing for development, service delivery and poverty alleviation.
He however said that it should have been based on population quotas as some parishes in Masaka City like Nyendo , are densely populated with a population size of some districts in some other parts of Uganda.
He called upon Masaka leaders to start a process of demanding for more parishes or wards so that by the beginning of 2023/2024 financial year, densely populated parishes like Nyendo get subdivided.
A similar problem is in Greater Kampala/Greater Mpigi area where some parishes as Kasubi and some divisions like Masajja are more populated than many constituencies.
Mpuga’s statement excited leaders present especially the RCC who ,at the closing ceremony said, that such is the leader of Opposition but not a rebel leader or an anti-establishment.
Mpuuga complements and supplements where necessary for the improvement of service delivery, the RCC said.
Mayor Namayanja also emphasized that she wants Masaka city to be the role model in implementation of the Parish Development Model.
She lashed at the lazy technocrats saying development should be speedy.
The Town Clerk Godfrey Bamanyisa vowed to ensure that the program is fully implemented in all the wards of the city and lauded both political and technical leaders to embrace and popularize it.
The RCC, in his closing remakrs, was proud of Masaka city, which he said, that unlike some of the new cities and other urban centers, is being developed by local and not foreign investors as in other cities.
“Most of the sky scrappers n Masaka are not owned by Indians, Chinese, or Japanese, but indigenous Ugandans. Bannnabuddu, be proud of that,” he said.
He also said that unlike his home municipality, Njeru, and his home district, Buikwe, where people are redundant and are ever watching films and betting, most people in Masaka shunned idleness.
“I am sure that if the model is a success, then l shall be promoted and may be l become Kampala City RCC and my deputy Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi, becomes Masaka RCC…: he said amusing those present as he led them in laughter.
Today, a PDP will be rolled out to Nyendo Mukugwe Division by Deputy RCC Naava Masitula Nakibuule and in the afternoon at Gayaaza beach in Kimaanya Kabonera Division, by the Deputy RCC Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi.
One Wednesday, there shall be dialogue on the program at Maria flow hotel where the main discussants will be Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs Vincent Sempijja , Minister of State for micro Finance Haruna Kyeyune Kasolo, Minister of State for Water Development, Aisha Ssekindi, among others.
According to City Clerk, G. Bamanyisa, by June 16th, every parish will have its 17 million on its account as the financial year is soon ending on June 30th. Then starting with July 1st, it will be 100 million shillings for every parish.
This program is part of the poverty alleviation programs others being emyooga based a constituencies where every SACCO is given 30 million shillings, as a revolving fund every financial year, then the women fund based at the districts. The youth livelihood and Operation Welath Creation, will be integrated in the Parish Development model where 30 percent is given to wmomen, 30 percent to youth, 10 percent to people with disability, 10 percent to elderly, among others.
The Parish Development model is chaired by the Parish Chairperson and and the secretary is the parish chief. Other committee remembers include the NRM parish chairman, women Counci, Youth Council, Elderly Council chairpersons, among others.
As Kwamwe Nkrumah said; Forward ever, backward never.
Haji Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi is a veteran journalist and Deputy Resident City Commissioner Masaka City
Contact 256-0756/0772-836537.
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