LOCAL LEADERS VOW TO FIGHT INSECURITY IN THE REGION

As the festive season draws near, there is a lot of social unrest in the Rwenzori region characterized by stealing, domestic violence, accidents and recklessness. The police, RDCs, Chair person LC Vs and LC IIIs in the districts of Kabarole and Kyegegwa have put up measures to fight insecurity in the districts. This message was communicated by the same leaders during a radio program sponsored by RWECO under the invitation and coordination of RIDE AFRICA (IWDP).

Three radio programs were held on Life FM radio by different leaders from the districts of Kyegegwa and Kabarole. The sensitization campaigns started in September/November 2011 to discuss the strategies for improving the security situation in the two Districts.

Strategies to improve the situation include;

• Revitalizing security committees at District, Sub County and LCI so that crime can be detected early and prevented.
• Establishment of Police Posts in trading centers with high crime rates such as Nyabagahya in Kakabara Sub County, Kyegegwa District.
• Conducting of police patrols with vehicles and foot to arrest evil doers.
• Conducting community policing to sensitize communities on how to live peacefully, people’s rights and the legal process.
• Sensitization on how to prevent crimes and corruption especially among traffic police officers.
• Local Leaders especially LC I to report cases of bad behavior to relevant authorities before they yield crime.
• Encouraging all drivers to service their cars to avoid accidents
• Encouraging the individuals to stop moving at night.
• Holding village meetings to sensitize and warn communities to avoid bad behavior.

KALI Supports Cholera Task Force in Kasese District

In attempts to curb cholera outbreak in Kasese District, Karambi Action for Life Improvement (KALI) has mobilized volunteers to disseminate information on disease/cholera to the community especially the already affected communities like Kayanzi landing site.

The upsurge of cholera cases is attributed to the lack of clean water and proper sanitation facilities coupled with the current heavy rains and high population movement from neighboring countries.

This effort intends to assist the already established Cholera task force and the Kasese District medical team in sensitizing the communities on the outbreak of the epidemic.

Cholera hit Kayanzi landing site in Nyakiyumbu sub-county in Kasese district and later spread to some other parts of Mpondwe Lhubiriha Town Council and Busongora County.

Four people are said to have perished following the outbreak of this epidemic.

According to the In- Charge Kayanzi Health Centre II Mr.Balinda Simon the death of the four residents was enhanced by the ignorance of the residents who delayed the patients and kept attributing their illness to witch craft instead of taking the affected for treatment. He noted that those who died did not visit the HC in time and ended up being dehydrated.

Karambi Action for Life Improvement was the first Non-Governmental Organization in Kasese that came up to empower stake holders to sensitize the masses on the outbreak of cholera in the already affected areas of Kayanzi and Mpondwe Lhubiriha Market.

The team named “Cholera task force” was supported by KALI; it moved to Mpondwe Lhubiriha market sensitizing the market vendors who were selling juice, sugar canes, and some other food stuffs to halt their business until the disease ends.

The same team went to Bwera Hospital where they met the hospital administrators and laid modalities to boost massive sensitization of the communities. During the visit the team learnt that the four Cholera patients who had been admitted at the Hopsital were steadily improving however, unit allocated for cholera patients was in a sorry state in terms of its infrastructure.

In Kayanzi, the team visited the landing site and Kayanzi HCII where Cholera patients were being admitted. The team established that latrine coverage at the landing site was alarmingly low, and that the water facilities being used by residents are in a poor state- sanitation and safety.

In addition to this the team learnt that residents in Kayanzi drink and use lake water which same lake some residents use to dispose off their human waste. It was observed that under such circumstances, an epidemic is inevitable.

Commenting on this situation the Kasese District LCV Chairman Lt. Col. Mawa Muhindo noted that the district leadership had created a treatment centre in Kayanzi such that the disease doesn’t easily spread to the rest of the parts in the district. He also revealed that modalities to construct the road to Kayanzi are underway such that Cholera patients are not delayed on the way in case there was need for them to be transferred to Bwera, Kagando and Kilembe hospitals.

Besides the field sensitization exercise, Karambi Action for Life Improvement offered a one hour live talk show on Kasese Guide radio to sensitize the masses on the epidemic and how the disease can be prevented.

It is important to note that massive community awareness on how to prevent, identify and treat cholera was created.

HIGH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN THE REGION CLAIMS LIVES

Domestic violence is something that society tends to sit on/ignore yet it has a negative impact on the development of the Society. Over the last three months there has a lot of murder arising from domestic violence and negligence. IWDP was able to establish details on some the incidents in Kabarole and Kyenjojo Districts as seen below;
Family Perishes Over Rat
Rukidi Sam, Coordinator, IWDP
Trouble emerged in Bufunjo Sub County, Kyenjojo District when a rat fell in drum of water. One Omuhereza Mutende returned home tired only to find a rat in their drum of water. He was so bitter that he started beating his wife for this mess, in retaliation the wife picked a panga and cut him to death. When the children realized that their father was dead, they immediately pounced on their mother and beat her to death. Currently the children are in prison detained for murder. I appeal to members of the community to curb this vice.
Man Kills Lover Over 90,000 Shillings
Kahunde Erina, RWECO-IWDP
Tayebwa aged 28 years and a resident of Harukooto village Fort Portal Municipality allegedly killed a one Kamakune Priscilla aged 26 and her son over issues of money. According to the residents Tayebwa lent 90,000 to Kamakune which she has since failed to pay. It is also alleged that Tayebwa had bought Kamakune a TV set and a DVD player and that the duo had been in love for more than one year. On the fateful day Tayebwa was seen drinking beer at Kamakune’s bar and all over a sudden started demanding for his 90,000 shillings from her. The two love birds picked a quarrel and Tayebwa rushed to his home and picked a gun and killed Kamakune and her three year old son. In retaliation the neighbors beat Tayebwa and burnt him to death. By the time police arrived, Tayebwa’s dead body was burning like a furnace.
Child Hanged For Stealing Mandazi
Kahunde Erina, RWECO-IWDP
On 3rd October 2011 a primary five pupil from Kinyamasika primary school was killed on his way to school by one Alimanywoha Felix of Kanyambeho village, East Division Fort Portal Municipality, Kabarole District. On the fateful day the little boy as usual left his home early morning for school, on his way he branched to a shop by the road side to pick some mandazi for breakfast since he was hungry, unfortunately the owner of the shop saw him and ran after him, caught him and dragged him to the shop and hanged him. The killer is being detained at Katojo prison, Kabarole District.
Parents and guardians are strongly warned not to send children to school without food, a factor that led to the death of the little boy. At the same time all community members should be parents, Alimanywoha would not have killed the boy over stealing mandazi if he had a parental heart!

RWECO-RIC-NET TRAINS PAC AND ACORD IN E-PLATFORMS

The journey started on a bright Sunday (20th Nov.2011) after noon from Kampala through the east to Soroti District where we arrived late in the evening.
On a Monday morning the RIC-NET team visited Public Affairs Center (PAC)-Uganda where we had a session of training with them in as far as the e- platforms are concerned.
Betty-ICTO RIC-NET led the participants through the Uchaguzi (http://www.uchaguzi-uganda.blogspot.com ) platform that was used during the election process. This was a review.

She was later joined by the Executive Director RIC-NET who also took the participants through a number of other online platforms like the Rwenzori Peoples' voice blog (http://rwecovoice.blogspot.com), CEW-IT (http://cewit.or.ug ), http://wwww.uchaguzi.co.ug and more blogs.

He also took participants through other information sharing platforms like the use of skype. Members signed up and started using this. Twiter was yet another communications media introduced to the members.
This was a long session characterized by practicals, questions and answers. The team carried along with them a dell projector that was officially handed over to PAC by the Executive Director RIC-NET. He took them through its procedures of operation.
ICTO-Yosia also ran some Networking maintenance for the PAC Network and made sure their wireless internet was enabled and security protected and more security issues for their router were done.
The session ended at around 3:15 pm and the team set off for Gulu at around 3:45 pm.

Bright morning of work in Gulu

22nd November 2011 was yet another day of great work at ACORD-Gulu. The session that attracted a number of participants started at around 9:30 am with Betty-ICTO taking the participants through a review of the Uchaguzi platform that was used during the elections by CEW-IT.
The ED RIC-NET led the participants through a number of other ICT online platforms. Twiter , skype were too taught to the participants. This was for nothing else other than timely information sharing among members.


They (participants) signed up and they started using these tools. This was a successful tour because nearly everybody picked up the ideas.

As it is for RIC-NET to continually give ICT support the ICTO-Yosia led participants through a session of computer repair and maintenance tips.

It is believed that most computer users take small things for granted and that is why they have always had technical issues with their computers most often. So these were emphasized for members to take care of their machines just like one would clean his house or office daily so are the computers.

ACCESS INFORMATION AND CAUSE ACTION!

Information as opposed to strength has over time proven to be a more effective and necessary tool for causing action and facilitating positive change and development in the Community. In most cases when a person is well equipped with evidence based information, it’s easier for them challenge, influence, or effect change in the community. Geared at establishing a strong and empowered “army’ of social accountability activitists in the Rwenzori region, RWECO has organized a 3 days training at RACA Resort for her CPFs on Social Accountability.

The training that started today 22.11.11 will run till 24.11.11 and aims at deepening participants’ understanding on social accountability issues, and on how services are delivered in Local Governments.

Opening the workshop, the RDC Kabarole Mr. Biryabarema Elijah expressed gratitude to RWECO and the participants in particular for coming out bravely to facilitate positive change in Rwenzori region. He encouraged them to engage and also work closely with the leaders at both District and Sub County levels in all their work, saying these leaders too share the same objective of improving service delivery and fighting corruption in the region. He added that working closely with the leaders will make social accountability work a lot easier and fun for them.

During the training, participants will be taken through various topics, ranging from concepts and definitions like governance, accountability, service delivery, data and information, citizenship and constitutionalism among others, information sourcing and utilization, Good Governance in Local Government, Monitoring service delivery in Local Government, Civic engagement to mainstreaming of cross cutting issues.

Emphasizing the purpose of the training, the RWECO Coordinator Mr. James Mwirima noted that the training is intended at empowering the participants with practical skills on social accountability such that they can be able to monitor service delivery and to engage the leaders in their localities.

In his presentation on HOW TO USE INFORMATION TO CAUSE ACTION, the facilitator Benson Ekwe Ocen cautioned the participants to always source and share only verified/evidence based information, and to always be committed, and brave enough to challenge the duty bearers with the information gathered. Benson equally tasked the participants to pick interest in familiarizing themselves with the different laws and provisions that empower the citizens with the right to access information and to participate in social accountability, like the Access to Information Act and the Constitution of Uganda; Art. 1, 41, among others.

Over 100 participants (RWECO staff and CPFs) are attending this training.

To be continued! (Watch this space!)

E-SOCIETY KASESE GOVERNING COUNCIL MEETING HELD, ORIENTATION OF DISTRICT EXECUTIVE ABOUT THE E-SOCIETY OPERATIONS DONE

In the bid to prepare for future sustainability and governance of the E-society resource center in Kasese District, RIC-NET spear headed the E-society Governing council meeting. This was held at Rwenzori the Gardens Hotel in Kasese Municipality on 16^th November 2011.

The meeting attracted all parties that compose the ESRC Governing council. Among these were representatives from the Civil society and Local government staff (civil servants) headed by the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Kasese Mr.Asaba Wilson.

The meeting that was chaired by the A.C.A.O started at about 11:00 am with a word of prayer led by one of the RIC-Net staff.

The ACAO welcomed all members who had turned for the meeting and having responded positively towards the invitation. He also said that meeting was as a result of a previous meeting that was held at the District that came up with a resolution of orienting the Governing council about their responsibilities towards the E-society resource center.

He later gave time to the Executive Director RIC-NET to highlight a number of issues about the E-society resource center.

The ED RIC-NET started by thanking the members for having honored the call and immediately outlined the composition of the governing council as follows;

· CAO Local Government to present three members chaired by the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)

· District Heads of departments atleast three with District Information Officer (DIO) inclusive

· Four members from the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) with the District Network

· RIC-NET was to remain as a member but not permanent also for technical back up

The ED also lamented that the CAO was to choose two other private sector partners working in the district to be part of this governing council.

He (ED) also highlighted the roles of the Governing council. Among others were;

· Governing council be the body proposing the policies in terms of governance, sustainability and operation of the E-Society center.

· Look at future plans and recommend the kind of direction that would be suitable

· Financial management

· Ownership of the E-society

· Governing council to look at how to expand and when to expand the ESRC

· Proper maintenance of documentation of the ESRC (minutes and other documents)

The District information Officer (DIO) later sited that a number of policies were already outlined by the ED and that therefore there would be need to translate these policies into a document that would go through the Governing council for approval, discussed to the District Technical Planning Committee and later signed by the Chief Administrative Officer to be a Governing document.

He (DIO) said the document would look at the;

· Mandate

· Vision

· Objective s

· Goal

· To describe membership and the tenure of membership

· Management/Administration

· It’s operations in terms of maintenance

· Sustainability

· Resource mobilization

· Need for partnerships among others.

Later a number of reactions were raised by the participants and action points were drawn. Among others were;

Technical sub committees be formed

At least two;

Policy and business plan committees.

The session was adjourned at around 1:00 pm.

Later in the afternoon the District Executive joined led by the District Vice chairperson Hon. Naome Mbambu to have lunch with the Governing Council E-society. The group later moved to the E-society resource center for inspection.

The ICT Officer RIC-NET took the District Executive through the District online resources that is the District website www.kasese.go.ug, kasese e-library, CSOs portal, the Kasese news portal and the D-group. They appreciated all efforts right from the beginning to date.