TAKING KASESE DISTRICT TO THE NEXT STEPS IN DEVELOPMENT

RWECO and the Kasese District Development Network through the public private partnership initiative that has seen CSOs, private sector and government share development concerns facilitated the Kasese district Conference 2014 on June 11th, 2014 that brought together, the Government, CSOs and private sector to debate and share ideas on how to move Kasese district to the next steps in the next 10 years. The Conference was attended by 70 participants drawn from device fields. The participants at the Conference made 8 declarations and 5 resolutions that were later presented to the Kasese district political and technical team on 16th June 2014.

Participants at the Kasese District Conference 2014, held at the Kasese district Multi-purpose hall, on 11th June, 2014

 The Declarations at the Conference:

Preamble

We the participants in the Kasese district conference held in Kasese District at Multi-purpose hall on 11^th June 2014  confirm and by consensus agree that the facts and information presented during the conference reflect the development needs of Kasese district  among others;

Conscious of the need to develop human resource, protect the environment and Natural resources, improve our economic potential, quality of education and food security at household level which directly related and influence each another, appreciating the need to act to improve the quality of education, utilize the potentials and endowments that exist and can facilitate change to see the Kasese we want by 2025, here by commit ourselves and resolve that;

1. Fighting household poverty and improving the quality of education becomes a priority for everyone and all development partners in Kasese District;
2. The sub county leadership with support from the district should organize decentralized conferences at sub county levels by mid-2015;
3. Conduct community meetings in villages, schools and churches to sensitize parents and other stakeholders on the importance of education, the need to produce on and utilize household land, sustainable environment management, community tourism and Local economic development and ensure sustainable household food production and incomes.
4. The district and sub county leadership develop a road map that will clearly show the targets, milestones and actions for the Kasese we want by 2025.
5.  This conference be conducted annually; the district by working with other development partners dedicate resources for this and annual reviews conducted to assess the commitments in this conference.
6. All leaders work together to ensure that each household has leased and utilized land well, has sufficient food for home consumption and marketing for income generation.
7. The office of the district chairperson and the organizing team assumes the responsibility to monitor and follow-up on all the commitments made in this conference.
8. All elected leaders take the political responsibility for the quality of education, investments ventures,  sustainable exploitation of natural resources, production at household level and tapping from community tourism since they were voted into office to ensure better service deliver;
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10.  

    

    Mr. Baritazale Kule, Ass. Commissioner, MoEF, delivering his presentation at the KAsese Conference 2014

    
    

    
    

    
    

    

    Lt.Col (Rtd) Dula Mawa Muhindo, Kasese District Chairperson, opening the Conference 

    
    
    
    
    
    

    
    

Districts resolve to sustain E-society Centres in Rwenzori region- Uganda

From a humble beginning of initiating E-society centres in the Districts as resolved at  the Kasese 2008 stakeholders roundtable  meeting, all the seven Districts of Rwenzori region (Kasese, Kabarole, Kamwenge, Kyenjojo, Ntoroko, Kyegegwa and Bundibugyo) have established and  resolved to keep and sustain  the District ICT (e-society) Centres in absence of the initial support from HIVOS through RWECO/RIC-NET.
This resolution was reached as RIC-NET offered to the Districts the last cheques for supporting the e-society.

District staff in Bundibugyo e-society centre

All the Districts have appointed, on temporary terms, a staff to take care for the e-society centres paid  from the  District local revenues.

Though RIC-NET continued to offer technical support, internet bandwidth  and pay staff up to to March 2013, the Districts took over all other costs and eventually the staff salary and internet subscription from April 2014. In recognition for this effort, RIC-NET in partnership with RWECO offered a bridge up contribution of one million shillings to each District as a honorarium to their staff this financial year.

Hon. Rwabuhinga Chair Person LC V Kabarole receives a chegue from John Silco Director of RIC-NET

Deputy CAO Bundibugyo receives the Honorarium cheque

Mr. John Chief Finance officer and Mr. Shabani ICT officer Ntoroko

The Deputy CAO Bundibugyo District said that this contribution was timely and sign recognizing their efforts on sustaining the e-society centres. This was a good sign and prove of Public Private partnership efforts in the region.

Districts went ahead to lobby the Ministry of public service to take on the e-society staff as permanent District staff on government payroll. And so far, Kasese District has officially recruited the ICT officer, Ntoroko and Kamwenge have received a go ahead and they are yet to recruit the ICT officers. 

Other Districts have formally requested and awaits for the formal response from the Ministry of public service.

The e-society centres have not only become places for accessing information and sharing between District civil servants, CSO , youth and the general public; most Districts have used the centres  in skilling the youth with ICT and entrepreneurship skills. 

Girlssingle mothers or displaced by ADF rebels attack- training in ICT at Ntotoko E-society centre

Ntoroko District has so far trained over 250 youth and held a certificates award ceremony on 20th May 2014 presided over by the Chair person LC V Ntoroko District.

RIC-NET and CSOs   efforts to  initiate e-society centres follows the establishment of a network of  50 rural information centres in the most counties/ sub counties in the region that enables information access, documentation and sharing among the  farmers, youth, women. elected leaders and general public.

M John Silco of RIC-NET with some youth who trained at  Ntoroko  e-society centre

 E-society centres, Dynamic District websites, District e-libraries, District  online discussion groups coupled with sponsored radio programmes, web-sms based platforms and neighborhood  assemblies  has led to an effective convergence of several information accesss and dissemination channels leading to a relative quick feedback process among stakeholders. A success story of the collaboration between RIC-NET, CSOs and local government structures.