President Yoweri Museveni has warned that he will deal with the relevant officials who have frustrated government efforts to boost production in Kapchrorwa sub-region by failing to provide combined harvesters to the farmers. “People have abandoned growing wheat because of the lack of combined harvesters. Nta choma mugongo wako, until they bring it here. People here are very hardworking and have grown a lot of maize. It is important that you diversify production for better incomes,” he said.
Museveni addressing a public rally
Government has delivered on most of its pledges for the region including the tarmacking of the 45 kilometre Sironko Kapchorwa road and reigning in the Karimonjong cattle rustlers in both Bukwo and Kapchorwa districts. This has lead to robust agriculture production.
However the lack of combined harvesters is a challenge to the wheat farmers as it is labour intensive and leads to a lot of loses if manually done. The region has a huge agricultural potential with farmers producing up to 4.2 metric tons of cereal from an acre of land if well managed, according to reports.
The president urged them to diversify their production including through projects like coffee and fruit growing, milk production, apple and grapes production. The President who is in the region to mobilize and popularize governments Prosperity for all programme arrived at Amanag Secondary school in Bukwo district and had an impromptu stop over where thousands of people had gathered to receive him. He urged them to work hard and improve their household incomes. He later visited a model farmer Denis Chilia of Chebiribes village who has nine acres of maize, dairy cows and a banana demonstration site. The president later also visited the farm of Mutahi Patric who also has dairy cows, bananas and goats at Posho village.
Later the President commissioned Bukwo District Headquarters and laid the Bukwo General Hospital foundation stone before addressing a mammoth rally at Bukwo subcounty, in Bukwo district.
He directed Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) to deal with head teachers who frustrate governments free Universal Primary Education and Universal Secondary Education programmes by levying extra fees for parents says this is against policy and is a serious offence, adding that the parents responsibilities include providing packed lunch for the pupils, books and pens and uniform.
The president assured the people of Bukwo that with the fast economic recovery that the country has experienced, governments’ tax collection has improved and it now has the capacity to build schools, roads, hospitals and provide security for a better life for its citizens. “As tax collection is improving, we will do other things including the road from Kapchorwa to Bukwo and provision of electricity, what is important is for you to focus on improving household incomes,” he said.
The President urged the people to support industrial growth saying with many factories, there will be job creation and more taxes will be collected to build infrastructure like roads, hospitals, schools and provide electricity. The President also commended the people of Bukwo for abandoning female genital mutilation, adding that surgeons who have been cutting the girls as a business will be supported to give up the practice and get involved in other developmental activities.
He warned officials against corruption and eating government money saying they would be investigated and dealt with severely.