Kasese e-society centre realising its dream

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Kasese Sets Up First Internet Facility

John B. Thawite

15 December 2010
KASESE district is finalising an internet-based, facility, the first of its kind in the Rwenzori region, that will enable the district administration and her stakeholders to electronically share information online.This will enable the district administration to store, retrieve and disseminate various documents among stakeholders in and outside the district, including central government and the donors.
The facility, known as the electronic society (e-society) centre, is housed in the District Information Office. It also comprises an electronic library (e-library) where the district will upload and retrieve its documents including procurement and job application information, development plans, budgets, various reports, minutes of council and departmental proceedings.The facility based and managed by the district, is funded by HIVOS, EU and IICD through the Rwenzori Information Centres Network (RIC-NET) under the RWECO project in the Rwenzori Region.
The e-society and the e-library can be accessed via the district website, http://www.kasese.go.ug, which RIC-NET has also helped reactivate.


"The facility is so far the first of its kind in the Rwenzori region," the RIC-NET programme manager, John Silco , said at Hotel Margherita in Kasese Municipality on Friday.

Kasese Sets Up First Internet Facility

John B. Thawite

15 December 2010

KASESE district is finalising an internet-based, facility, the first of its kind in the Rwenzori region, that will enable the district administration and her stakeholders to electronically share information online.

This will enable the district administration to store, retrieve and disseminate various documents among stakeholders in and outside the district, including central government and the donors.

The facility, known as the electronic society (e-society) centre, is housed in the District Information Office. It also comprises an electronic library (e-library) where the district will upload and retrieve its documents including procurement and job application information, development plans, budgets, various reports, minutes of council and departmental proceedings.

The facility based and managed by the district, is funded by the Netherlands-based International Institute for Communication and Developments (IICD) through the Rwenzori Information Centres Network (RIC-NET).

The e-society and the e-library can be accessed via the district website, http://www.kasese.go.ug, which RIC-NET has also helped reactivate.

"The facility is so far the first of its kind in the Rwenzori region," the RIC-NET programme manager, John Silco Muruga, said at Hotel Margherita in Kasese Municipality on Friday.

Need for joint implementation of gender activities by civil society organization and local governments

Sub county chiefs from the fourteen sub counties that have been implementing the civic competence project supported by European Union and HIVOs through Rwenzori Consortium for civic competence (RWECO) have recommended for a joint implementation of gender focused activities that can increase the participation of women in the local government planning and feedback processes.

The recommendation was made during one day follow up workshop organized by RWECO at Rwenzori International Hotel in Kasese Municipality Kasese District to evaluate the comments made during a three days gender budgeting training that was organized five months ago at Kasunga Training centre in Kyenjojo.

During the follow up meeting, the sub county chiefs reported that they had incorporated the acquired knowledge during the gender budgeting training to develop gender sensitive budgets at Sub County level; for instance:

· Kyarumba Sub County in Kasese district has planned to buy a mattress to the best girl pupils in the primary leaving examinations of 2010.

· Kisinga, Kithohu, Bwera, Mugusu, Karambi, and Muhokya have organized community sensitization meetings of the general public to become gender sensitive.

· Karusandara, Maliba, and Bugaki have conducted training sessions for Sub County planning staff in gender mainstreaming skills in order to have Sub County gender sensitive budgets.

The above participating sub counties thus recommended that there should be joint implementation of gender based activities by the civil society organizations and the local governments since local governments had limited support in terms of funds and human resources to implement all genders based projects.

Closing the meeting, the chairperson RWECO Mr.Murugahara John Silco who is at the same time the programs manager RIC-NET called upon the civil society organization and local Governments to share information and implementation plans for the planned activities

More information coming soon;

Kabarole District conduct peaceful nominations for nine parliamentary candidates

Nine candidates for the parliamentary seat have been nominated today in Kabarole District. The nomination was held at muchwa the headquarters for Tooro kingdom in fort portal municipality kabarole district. The male candidates nominated for parliamentary seat included:

1. Alex Ruhunda for Fort portal municipality on NRM seat

2. Akugizibwe Solomon for Fort portal municipality on FDC seat

3. Adolf mwesige for Bunyangabo consistency on NRM seat

4. Ategeka James Mugarama for Bunyangabo consistency on independent seat.

5. Isingoma John Baptist for Bunyangabo consistency on independent seat

6. Mugabe Christopher Kayonga for Burahya county kabarole district

While the women candidates for the district parliamentary seat included:

1. Businge Victoria Rusoke candidate for women District MP on NRM seat

2. Brungi Elizabeth candidate for women district MP on FDC seat

3. Mugisa Muhanga Margret for women District MP independent

More information still coming, by Augustine Focal person RAC election monitoring and Jackline Aturinda

Conflict arises as parliamentary candidates get nominated in Kyenjojo District

It was drama at the registrar’s office in Kyenjojo as NRM flag bearer for mwenge north consistency Mr. Muhumuza Daudi handed his nomination papers to the electoral office for the parliamentary seat for mwenge north consistency.

The conflict rose due to Hon. Tom Butime former Member of Parliament for the same consistency denied the candidature of mr.Muhumuza Daudi as NRM flag bearer for the consistency. Mr. Butime had contested the NRM primary elections result saying that mr.Muhumuza Daudi was not supposed to be the NRM flag bearer for mwenge north consistency due to the irregularities which occurred during the NRM primary elections for Flag bearers though the he had been declared a flag bear by the NRM office.

Another candidate who was nominated for mwenge north consistency parliamentary seat was mr.Kalija Cats for FDC while Linda Timbigamba was nominated as women member of parliament on NRM ticket, whereas Joyce Kwebiha, Kabasinguzi Teresa , Kensime Miriam were nominated as independents for women member of parliament for Kyenjojo District. More information still coming by Robert Nyaika focal person election monitoring Integrated Women development Program (IWDP)

RIC-NET STAFF JOINS KALI, IWDP & GHFRD TO EVALUATE A TWO YEAR EU/HIVOs FUNDED PROJECT IN THE RWENZORI REGION

Rweco members have started evaluating the two year EU/HIVOs funded project. The project was initiated way back in November 2008 and has lasted for two years. The aim of this project was to enhance the civic competence of the citizens to participate in the local government planning and feedback process and demand for accountability in order to influence service delivery.

During the evaluation, Rwenzori Information Centers Network presented their success stories as per result area as follows:

1. Building the capacity of the citizens to participate in local government planning and demand for accountability

· Documentation

Posters 4 Editions (500 copies each)

Newsletters 7 Editions (500 copies each)

Banners 9 different banners

Video Documentaries 2 Editions

Blogs http://rwecovoice.blogspot.com

Documentation of partner activities e.g. Kisangi primary school, Rwentaiki Primary school (IWDP) Public expenditure audit (GHFRD, KALI, IWDP)

· Information sourcing

Collection of Sub county development plans from 20 sub counties and 3 district plans

· Sharing information with the world and the community

NGO News Africa http://www.ngonewsafrica.org/?p=718

New vision 3^rd October 2010, Kanyampara water channel http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/18/733904

All Africa.com

http://allafrica.com/stories/201010040296.html

· Radio talkshows:disscusing community projects in the sub development plans

2. Capacity Building of LG and CSOs to account to the community for better service delivery

} 8 trainings on ICT use with LG and CSOs

} 4 trainings on the IEC materials with CSOs

} 1 training CSO portal

Evidence http://kasesenews.blogspot.com/2010/10/training-on-e-library-for-kasese.html

http://rwecovoice.blogspot.com/2009/12/adding-mobile-component-to-e-society.html

} Physical equipments to the Local Government to kick start the E-Society Centre; http://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/Technology/-/688612/816942/-/tv6sdf/-/index.html

http://www.i-network.or.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=350

} Continuous Computer Literacy training to individual users from the District Local Government and the CSOs to the E-Society ICT Centre; http://kasese.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-csos-portal-training

} Platforms development for Information sharing;

http://www.kasesecso.org/ - Kasese CSOs Portal

http://www.kasese.go.ug/ - Kasese District Website

http://kaseseelibrary.org - Kasese District E-Library

http://dgroups.org/iicd/kasese - Kasese Community D- Group

http://kasesenews.blogspot.com/ - Kasese District News Blog

http://rwecovoice.blogspot.com/ - CSOs News Blog

http://www.kabaroledistrict.go.ug/ -Kabarole District Website

Documentation for District Content.

Documented UNAID-HIV/AIDS survey statistics for Kasese district, Health department and computer was given to the district.

3. Participating CSOs have improved capacity to influence LG service delivery

· Have trained participating organizations to use ICT tools as platforms for Information sharing;

Letter of Appreciation and recognition;

http://ric-netnews.blogspot.com/2010/09/appreciation.html

http://rwenzoriruralhealthservices.blogspot.com/

http://ric-netnews.blogspot.com/2010/10/kasese-cso-portal-trainingp-by-erastus.html

http://kasese.ning.com/

— Trained CPFs on how to document and take pictures;

— Have Built a D-group & other platforms where CSOs and citizens have shared issues concerning services delivery e.g. Discussion on dividing Kasese District; http://dgroups.org/ViewDiscussion.aspx?c=06190e42-e0f5-4576-9b4d-18637aa0016b&i=6e4890c5-2d65-4a01-aff2-db3d89d15b55

— Helped participating CSO to identify and procure the ICT equipments; such as setting up the Local Area Network (LAN) for KALI

4. Improved dialogue between LG and CSOs

· Held round table meetings to discuss: what info, how it’s needed, in what form. This was to help LG, CSOs and citizens identify how dialogue can be realized.

· Concept of E-Society where LG, CSOs and Citizens have started using the platforms for sharing information.

· Joint assessment of I.C.T needs and tools to be used; referred to ICT Needs assessment report.

· Joint radio talk shows with LGs and CSOs