Friday 4th May, shall remain a
land mark in the Kasese District Council sitting at which 66.6% of the
nominations made by the district chairman were women. Lt.Col. Mawa Muhindo
(Rtd) stood to present a motion to fill the District Executive Committee positions. The Chairman
filled the District Executive Committee position with Hon. Tadeo Muhindo, Hon.
Pelucy Kabagenyi and Mrs. Anna Muhindo as
member of the District Service Commission.
The house was full to capacity during the
district council session held at Rukoki, members of the civil society organizations were
invited to attend but as usual they kept
in the gallery watching how the honorable councilors presented and discussed
motions to determine the future of Kasese district. It was joy and ululations
when the Chairperson mentioned the name of Hon. Pelucy Kabagenyi, I observed
almost all the women in the council stood up in recognition of the ‘unsung heroin’ being nominated as a member of the DEC. What does it take for
RWECO to attend the district council session: witness whether the resolutions
made were pro-poor and if they would drive the district to implement the
citizens manifesto.
Does the number of women matter or
representation? I will zero on Hon. Pelucy Kabagenyi (PWDs), given her position
in society and the long stand she has had on speaking for the people with
disabilities, gave hope that indeed sections of the citizen’s manifesto were
catered for during the council deliberations. I also witnessed two other motions that were moved in the
house. One on land and landlessness in
Kitsamba sub county, and the threat posed by Kilembe Mines Limited to the
people of Kasese. While responding to the landlessness debate in Kasese, the
District Resident Commissioner Capt. James Mwesige reminded the honorable
councilors to sensitize the community about the value of land, the RDC scoffed
at the people who were resettled in
Bigando but over 80% had sold off the land. It was thus resolved that a working committee
be constituted to look at land cases in Kasese, the threats posed by Kilembe Mines
and a report presented to the next council.
I was partly concerned by the RDC’s
revelation that over 80% citizens who were resettled in Bigando had sold off
their land? what does it take for the leaders to be mindful while debating on
such matters. Kasese district is predominantly an agricultural hub without
proper guidance of the council, land conflicts has a long history of
in the district: ‘we have
lost lives and property, I beg this
house to take immediate action on the absent landlords evicting the citizens in Kitsambwa Sub county’
Hon. Asimwe Mbakania moved. As a concerned citizens it’s a pity that the poor
or the underprivileged are loosing land. One of the top ten concerns in the
Rwenzori region is declining fortunes of Agriculture- but where is the problem.
It lies within the institutions that are supposed to mobilize the people and
guide them to make proper use of the available resources. The Kasese district
Council should rather make a bye-law to stop all those people who were
resettled from selling any piece of land in those gazetted areas.
My next concern was the participation of
women during the council deliberations. For the four motions that I witnessed
being moved, all the movers were ‘men’ where were the ‘women’, stumping,
seconding the motions or murmuring! Save for one Hon. Naume who stood on the
floor of council to deliberate on
several motions . I was perplexed by the
positions that women took in the council hall.
What exactly happened? The deliberations were in English and what does
the law say.. I am not sure, but an honorable councilor may deliberate in a
language he/she feels would express
him/her self better. That did not happen in Kasese district council session of
4th May, 2012. I believe if the speaker had guided the house on the
use of the Queen’s language many more women would have participated in the
discussions. Look the Secretary for Finance Hon. Matayo Bwambale
laid on table the budget estimates for the F/Y 2012/13 of about UGX 36.6BN, but
it took him courage to withstand the
Queen's language.
Therefore, the call for a national language
as demanded by the CM is gaining momentum in the Rwenzori region and the rest
of the regions in Uganda.
I believe, the Citizen’s manifesto has a
message that should be taken by the honorable councilors and the Members of
Parliament as Uganda
prepares to celebrate 50 years of independence. As citizens lets fully
participate in the planning of our resources at all levels right from Local
Council one through to LCV to Parliament.
Watch this space!!!!!
Jimmy Baluku Odyek
Ag. Coordinator RWECO
No comments:
Post a Comment