The Financial Year 2020/21 marks the first year of implementation of the third National Development Plan (NDP III). The NDP III seeks to consolidate the cumulative gains that have been made over the previous plans and unlock new opportunities for all Ugandans taking cognizance of the effects of COVID 19 pandemic on the economy.
Civil society participation in the budget processes guarantees that citizens’ needs and priorities are addressed, fosters better understanding by the CSOs and citizens in these district local government planning and budgeting process as well as other critical information that makes us more effective to influence policy and improve service delivery at the district level. CSO’s participation in these conferences was limited due to COVID 19 challenges. About 25 CSO’s participated in the 3 districts.
Participants attending budget conference in Kyenjojo and Ntoroko Districts
ToroDev through district based NGO forums mobilized and coordinated CSO’s to prepare their position papers/communiqué of the inputs felt that the districts should focus on during the 2021/22 financial year budgets aimed at ensuring that resources at the Local Government are mobilized, allocated and utilized in an efficient, equitable and gender sensitive manner to promote sustainable development.
In many lower local governments the process is not done as it is meant to be because consultations have to start from parish level where community members participate in bringing issues forward but sometimes it is not done due to lack of information or failure by the leaders at that level to organize citizens to make inputs. Also civil society participation has been minimal because of limited time to mobilize them resulting from late communication from concerned officials at the district.
The Kyenjojo district budget consultative meeting was held on 27th October 2020 at Kyenjojo district headquarters. While giving the opening remarks during the meeting, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Mr Kaija Samuel said effective FY 2021/22 government and district budgets are going to be program based unlike previous budgets that were sector/departmental based. He said all budgets will be aligned based on the programs as outlined in the National Development Plan III (NDP III).
Chairperson Kyenjojo NGO Forum Rev Moses presenting a CSO’s Communique during the budget conference in Kyenjojo
The district chairperson Kabarole Mr Rwabuhinga Richard while giving opening remarks during the budget consultative meeting on 27th October, 2020 appreciated the role played by development partners in development of the district. He said Nyantabooma Health Center III which many CSO’s have advocated for a long period of time has been constructed and will be officially handed over to the district by the contractor early November 2020. He said the maternity ward at the health facility will support mothers to seek antenatal and general health services. However, the district chairperson acknowledged that some contractors do shoddy work and will suffer loses if they continue doing so because the district is not ready to work with such contractors.
The district chairperson Kabarole Hon Richard Rwabuhinga giving opening remarks during the budget conference
The Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Ntoroko district Mr. Kyaligonza Anselm said, unlike previous budgeting this time we shall have different departments for example health, education and CBS together budgeting for one project. Mr Kyaligonza said as a district they have improved on infrastructure in schools by constructing some classrooms but still they are not enough, constructed Butungama HC III, General ward at Karugutu HC IV, Kasungu bridge among others achievements in the FY 2019/2020. The CAO reminded participants to be mindful of the district and national development priorities while making their budget.
The Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Ntoroko district Mr Kyaligonza Anselm during the budget conference
Key service delivery gaps as earmarked from previous budgets were highlighted and these included; under staffing in many departments, limited infrastructure for schools and health facilities where teachers and health workers report late to work and sometimes absent themselves because they lack accommodation facilities, high teacher: pupil ratio in schools, desk: pupil ratio, issues of drug stock out, poor state of roads, limited and late delivery of farm inputs under OWC, lack of safe and clean water in some communities, limited funding of natural resources department yet key in conserving the environment to mention but a few. Civil society organizations position papers highlighted recommendations as requested by citizens; many issues were crosscutting and included but not limited to;
Districts to priotize upgrading of health centers II’s in sub counties without health center III’s and formalizing effective functionality of health center III’s, priotizing construction of staff houses especially for hard to reach sub counties/areas to reduce absenteeism and late coming of teachers and health workers’, support continuous learning for learners and school learning environment under COVID 19, priotizing agricultural Business models and technologies that attract the youth to engage in agriculture, supporting and guiding beneficiaries of YLP, UWEP funds to invest in enterprise with high returns, priotize strengthening participation of stakeholders and make feedback to the communities on priorities taken, mainstreaming environment and natural resources conservation information in all programs of the district among others.
Mr Itoote Edward, Coordinator Kabarole NGO Forum (Left) and Mr Byakutaga Aron, Secretary Ntoroko NGO Forum making presentations on behalf of CSO’s during the Budget conferences in Kabarole and Ntoroko respectively
Participants that included district councilors, sub county chairpersons, district technical staff, and representatives of civil society had time to engage and question presentations as made by heads of departments. Below are some extracts;
Why do we still have sub counties without health centers? Many mothers came for services at Kyenjojo health center IV but sometimes live without being served and referred to private clinics, does the CAO do monitoring to know what takes place in these hospitals? Asked the chairperson LC III Nyabirongo Sub county.
Mothers from Kanyegaramire Sub County in Kyenjojo district are dying due to poor roads and some have died on their way to health facilities, can our leader’s priotize roads to help save lives of our people?
There are no drugs in our health facilities, how long shall we wait to have drugs in our health facilities? asked Harriet a female councilor representing persons with old age from Kyarusozi Sub county
A participant making his point during the budget conference in Kyenjojo District
We thank CSO’s for exposing corruption cases in our district and country, does the Chief Administrative Officers know or have any systems to monitor corruption in lower local governments? Asked ………….a female councilor representing Karugutu Sub county in Ntoroko district.
There is no single health center III in Kabende sub county and Kijura town council yet we hear the district is planning to construct one in Kiko Town Council, it is 3,000/= from Kiko town council to Fort Portal town and 10,000/= from Kabende sub county to Fort Portal town, if we are to use these considerations, who needs the health facility? asked Hon Tatina, male district councilor representing Kabende Sub County.
A councilor representing Persons with Old Age giving her opinion during the budget conference
There is a high pupil: teacher ratio in Karangura Sub County and on average all schools have only 7 teachers compared to other schools with 15 and above teachers, what criteria is used to recruit teachers in these schools? Asked Robina Biira a female district councilor representing Karangura sub county in Kabarole district.
Civil Society in their report have told us that despite reports being shared with natural resources department regarding environmental degradation nothing has been done to the culprits, what plans are in place to restore our natural resources? asked Hon Ruta Gideon, male councilor representing Kasenda Sub County in Kabarole district.
We thank SIDA, CIPESA and all our development partners for the financial and technical support to improve services in our communities.
