Busoro Sub county Monitoring Findings Approved

Mr. JohnYoung Kusemererwa , the Chairperson LCIII Busoro Sub county, Kabarole District

" I have approved this report of the monitors in Busoro Sub County, since I was part of the team that participated in the joint monitoring exercise and the RWECO magazine where I appear on the front page is also approved at this function" Chairperson LCIII Busoro Sub county at the Midterm Term Review conducted by EU and DGAP in the Rwenzori Region on Monday 19 November, 2012. The DGAP midterm review team was led by Mr. Pieter du Plessis.

RWECO Team and Mr. Pieter at RIDE Africa, Fort Portal Municipality ( 19, Nov. 2012)

Mr. Pieter met the RWECO team at RIDE Africa in Fort Portal, Municipality before going to the field. In the brief meeting with RWECO, a brief project report was presented about the Social Accountability supported by EU and Hivos and the Citizens' Manifesto in Action: Building a Social Contract between citizen's and their leaders funded by EU and Oxfam Novib. The Coordinator RWECO, informed Mr. Pieter that, as a consortium of Organisations: KALI, GHFRD, RICNET, RIDE Africa, other partners also participated in the Citizens Manifesto program right from the elections period and the post election period. In Particular RAC and KRC were partners during the 2010/2011 Pre-election and also participated in the citizens driven election observations in 2011. RWECO best practice was the application of ICT in all its work and that, had given RWECO a comparative advantage over other CSO activities in the Rwenzori Region.

Play depicting Engineers drilling a bore hall

While in the field at Busoro Sub County headquarters, the team was treated to a real Kitooro welcome: The drama group presented the 'RUNYEGE' traditional dance to warmly welcome the visitors. More was yet to come when the drama group presented a play depicting the rot in the water sector tendering process of which the area chairperson had influenced the drilling of a bore hole in his land yet the watertable  was deep. The bore hall was drilled without the community participation and money exchanged hands between the contractor and the chairperson. Sanitation at the bore hall was poor, with dirty and rubbish every where, when the bore hole broke, the chairperson fenced off the the bore hall something that broke into conflict. Then the moderator asked the community to respond to the issues depicted in the play. One elderly women, gave a testimony that, what happened in the play was exactly what had happened at her shallow well, and during the neighborhood assembly they agreed to meet the local leaders to address the challenges, another women, said   "Ogu muzano nugwa mazima" Loosely translated as, this play is a real situation of what  happened at her shallow well, but they reported to the chairperson LCIII Busoro Sub county who sent a team to go and verify and now the swallow well was function but after interventions by monitors.

The Sub county Chief requested RWECO and RIDE Africa, to support the sub county train the water user committees and the Health Unit Management, as a measure to mitigate on the conflicts at water points. A request that RWECO will share with the Kabarole district Water Officer and the District Health Officer for action.

While in Kibito Sub county, the team met with BUDI, a CBO that participated in the CM implementation with RAC. At BUDI, the members presented their story how they implemented the CM by use of drama, held a district CM day for they were proud to report that the issues identified were worked on by the district, that the area MP and Minister of Local Governments, Hon. Adolf Mwesige was in support of the CM activities and had asked for a report of the CM day which was presented by the his Political Assistant who was part of the CM implementation. Hon. Adolf has met with BUDI and lobbied for stabilization grants for three sub counties and followed up the community reports by carrying independent monitoring in the community which tallied with the community monitors reports.

RWECO, presented the challenges faced during the implementation of all its work in the Rwenzori region as political interference and tribal conflicts which they are addressing with other CSOs in the region.
RWECO also reported that integration of livelihood was the next strategy they want to do if they must sustain governance work in the region.

RWECO also showed the relationship between CEWIT and other partners in Uganda as a big strength in lobby and advocacy work.

Field report compiled by

Jimmy B.O
Sheila K
Margaret K
Misaki B
Photos by Abdul M