Category: News

A targeted crackdown on wetland encroachment in Bwikara Sub County, Kagadi district yesterday led to the destruction of approximately 20 acres of crop plantations illegally grown in protected wetland areas.

The operation, spanning two days, involved a coordinated effort by authorities including the RDC Kagadi, her deputy, DISO, UPDF officers, police officers, and support staff from the National Forestry Authority (NFA).

Specifically, the operation focused on Rwabituju and Mihemu Wetlands located in Nyakubebe and Kisura Villages.

Benjamin Tumusiime, Kagadi’s Deputy RDC, confirmed that the destroyed crops encompassed beans, onions, cabbages, and sugarcane.

These belonged to individuals who had been previously warned to vacate the area last year but had replanted for the current season.

This enforcement action aligns with a presidential directive aimed at restoring and conserving natural environments to mitigate climate-related impacts.

Commissioner Benjamin disclosed that similar operations will extend into Buyaga West and East in the upcoming days, emphasizing the continuation of efforts to uphold environmental protection directives.

Unlike the previous day, during which nine individuals were arrested, no arrests were made on the second day of the operation, as many encroachers had received prior warnings.

Gerald Byoona, Kagadi District Natural Resource Officer, attributed the persistence of encroachment to collusion between encroachers and local leaders.

He advised locals to maintain a 100-meter buffer zone from the main wetland to avoid legal repercussions.

The physical head count for the Kagadi Distirct pensioners and estate administrators of the deceased pensioners has commenced today at the District council

The exercise is being conducted by the office of the Auditor General and is expected to run from today Monday 8/7/2024 to Friday 20th/7/2024.

The pensioners are expected to come along with the following documents;

1. First Appointment letter
2. Confirmation letter
3. last promotion letter
4. Retirement letter/certificate 
5. National Identity card 
6. letters of Administration
7. Any other Documentation relevant to confirm retirement.

Kagadi

Government of Uganda has launched the construction of St.Jude Seed Secondary School in Burora Sub-County Kagadi district.

The project worth over 2.5 Bn is under the Intergovernmental fiscal transfer [Ugift] programme being financed by the World Bank.

BAMK REAL ESTATE&CONSTRUCTORS LTD is undertaking the construction works scheduled to run for 18 months according to the project period.

While speaking as the Chief Guest during the launching ceremony at the School premises in Burora Sub-County, the RDC Kagadi Lillian Ruteraho warned the school management against sectarianism, asserting that the school will benefit the entire community regardless of their religious and tribal backgrounds.

She also commends the Catholic Church for offering land for the establishment of the project.

According to the acting Kagadi District Engineer, Robert Bukenya, the scope of work includes construction of an administration block, ventilated improved pit latrine, three classroom blocks, teachers’ houses, a kitchen, two science laboratories, a playground, a multipurpose hall, and information communication technology library.

Eng.Bukenya warned the site engineers against shoddy works, also asking the residents to increase vigilance and ensure project materials are not stolen.

 Epodoi Pauline the Chief Administrative Officer Kagadi asked the contractors of the project to put funds allocated to the project to proper use, also warned workers against sexual harassment of the young girls in the community.

The headteacher St.Jude SS Burora Mary Tusiime highlighted a number of challenges faced at school including lack of enough structures, lack of a Computer liberally and science laboratory.

She is optimistic that once the project is completed, will help to address some of the cited challenges and will improve the academic standards of the institution.

The government’s plan is to have at least one secondary school in each sub-county.

The construction of Kingsolomon and Kitegwa Seed secondary school UGFIT projects currently standard at 85%

Kagadi                   

Kagadi district leadership has handed over Paachwa piped water project to Midwestern umbrella of Water and Sanitation for maintenance and further extension.

The project that costed 660Million shillings launched 2 years ago was funded by the government of Uganda with support from African Development Bank under the Water Supply and Sanitation program.

Mid-Western Umbrella of Water and Sanitation Authority (mwUws) is a public water utility company operating and managing various piped water supply systems in Mid-Western region of Uganda.   The creation of Umbrella organizations is an initiative of the Directorate of Water Development (DWD) under Urban Water Department in the Ministry of Water and Environment (MoW&E) as a strategy for ensuring that schemes completed are sustainably managed

Addressing the residents who witnessed the handover project at Kahuniro P/S in Paachwa Town council, the RDC Lillian Ruteraho Kagadi warned the engineers against charging high water fees from the users.

She emphasizes that at least a jerry can of water be sold at least 100 Shillings only, also cautioning the locals to be compliant if they are to benefit from the project.

The Kagadi district Water Engineer Robert Bukenya commends the Mid-western umbrella for taking over the project, also raising concerns of power outages that affects water supply and defaulters who fail to clear the water bills in time to facilitate the smooth running of the project.

Meanwhile, Gilbert Byamugisha the manager Mid-Western Umbrella Kyenjojo branch urged the managers of the project in the area to ensure consistent water supply.

At the same function, Edward Bisangabasaija the principal Assistant CAO urged residents to conserve the water catchment areas to enable the project last for long.

The Paachwa Town Council Lc3 chairperson Justus Businge says the coverage of the water project now stands at 80%, also asking the water umbrella to also extend water connections to the remaining areas.

Kagadi District Local Government has commissioned completed projects under the education department in FY 2023/2024.

The projects include Rehabilitation classroom blocks at Ruboona primary school, Muhooro Muslim Primary school and Kagadi Model Primary school 82m, 156m and 50m respectively.

The function was presided over by the Kagadi district resident commissioner Lillian Ruteraho last evening.

While commissioning and handing over the projects Lillian challenged parents to support child education.

Responding to the concerns of lack of enough desks, the vice chairperson for Kagadi district who doubles as the district youth councilor Vincent Semuga said they district will provide the school with 40desks.

On the issue of lack of teachers at Ruboona primary school, the inspector of schools for Kagadi Clare Alice Aganyira said it is not only Ruboona primary school lacking teachers.

Clare said Kagadi District Local Government has a gap of over 600 teachers.

Kagadi

Kagadi District local government together with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries have held a stakeholder engagement to share progress on the implementation of the Micro-scale irrigation Program in Kagadi District.

 The one day workshop held at Kagadi District community Hall was attended by LCIII Chairperson, District councilors, Subcounty chiefs and Town clerks and Community Development officers from the 35 lower local government that make up Kagadi District.

Kagadi is grouped under cluster 6 which comprises 11 districts including Kikuube, Ntoroko, Bunyangabu, Bundibudjo, Mitoma, Kasese, Kabarole, Rubirizi among others.

During the engagement leaders in Kagadi District have pledged to spread the information to the local farmers regarding the Micro-scale irrigation in order to improve house hold incomes.

Grace Byansansa from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal husbandry and Fisheries said the effects of climate change led government to introduce the irrigation program to enable farmers produce much food even during prolonged dry spells.

She says for a farmer to get the irrigation equipment, he or she must have at least two acres of land, have access to a source of water not more than 700 metres away and be willing to co-fund the purchase of irrigation equipment at 25 percent as the government meets 75 percent of the cost for solar powered equipment.

For Fuel powered equipment, the government contributes 25 percent and farmers 75 percent.

Mparana Desire the Senior Agricultural officer explains that the program has been tested in the district through the establishment of the 7 demonstration sites and it has been successful.

Mparana says government has allocated over Ugx600M to support 34 farmers who have expressed interest for the program.

He rallies farmers to welcome the program to boost food production in the district.

The micro scale irrigation program is in line with Uganda’s National Irrigation Policy which aims to create 1.5 million hectares of irrigated land by the year 2040.

According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, about 70 percent of Uganda’s working population is employed in agriculture which has been hit by unreliable rains resulting from unreliable climatic changes.

Authorities in Kagadi district have mounted an operation to restore the degraded natural resources in the district.

The operation that started with evaluation of the rate of degradation found out that over 30 hectares of Rwabituju swamp was degraded beyond recognition.

Kagadi District Forest and Environmental Conservation task force in conjunction with the office of the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) has embarked on a campaign to evict encroachers from Rwabituju Wetland that is under the threat of depletion.

Rwabituju wetland is surrounded by the four villages of Nyankubebe A & B, Katikara and Kisaara B in Nyamasa Parish, Bwikara Sub county.

According to the Survey, the community members have encroached on the wetland and cultivated crops like onions, Sugarcanes, Beans and cabbages.

Approximately 25 acres of Rwabituju wetland has been depleted.

Village Chairperson of Katikara and Nyankubebe B where the swamp passes say they tried to engage the residents but they instead took it personal and hatred emerged

We reported and got tired. People even said that I am a bad person just because I am a retired soldier. This swamp was very big stretching from one village to the other but as you see it is now covered with sugarcanes.” Abasi Katusabe, Chairman LCI Nyankubebe B told this website

 “I have told people in Katikara to vacate the wetland but they refused and continued to dig. I even gave their names to the RDC and she would read them over the radio everyday but they never heeded to her warnings. Now that you have come, please save us.”  Zabron Businge, Chairman LCI Katikara added

The Kagadi RDC Lillian Ruteraho said her team will collaborate with the local council one chairperson for the villages neighboring the swamp to get the names of the encroachers so that they are apprehended and charged.

Relatedly, Benjamin Tumusiime the Kagadi deputy Resident District commissioner revealed that 70% of the wetlands in the district have been depleted, also calling for the support of the leaders at all levels to restore the depleted wetlands.

Benjamin said in the next 2 to 3 years to come, they want to see the depletion below 40%.

Meanwhile, the Kagadi District Senior Environment Officer Gerald Byoona said the cases of encroachment on Rwabituju wetland and other swamps in the district have increased especially after Covid-19 induced lockdown.

He said that any person wishing to carry out any activity in the wetland, should write to NEMA for environmental impact assessment for clearance.

Some of the local council one chairpersons said they have always sensitized the residents to stop encroaching on the wetlands but the perpetrators have kept a deaf ear.

About 70% of the wetlands in Kagadi district were encroached on and destroyed after population increased and people lacked land for expansion thus opting for wetlands.

Kagadi district alone hosts three Hydro power stations of Muzizi HydroPower dam of 48MW being developed by UEGCL on R. Muziizi, Timex Bukinda small hydro power station of 6.5MW and Kigwabya mini power station on R. Nkuse thus the need for protection of all wetland and rivers in the district to safeguard all these developments.

Kagadi

Kagadi District has witnessed significant change in leadership as the District Male youth councilor Ssemuga Vincent assumes the role of the Vice District Chairperson filling the vacancy left by Peter Sebugwaho 3 month ago.

The decision was made during a district council setting held at Kagadi community hall in Kagadi town council presided over by the District speaker Magezi Muwonge.

The motion to nominate newe members was tabled by Ndibwami B Yosia the Kagadi District Chairperson. Ndibami Put forward the nominations appointing Ssemuaga Vincent as the Vice District Chairperson, Magezi Jamada for secretary for  planning, administration works, and production , Peter Ziraba for Secretary for Health and Education and Evelyn Buhenzire secretary for community based services, security and natural resources .

Upon approval by council the newly appointed members to oath pledging to serve the people of Kagadi diligently without compromise.

In the same development the District chairperson Ndibwami B Yosia appointed Benard Mumbere as a new member of the District Service Commission replacing Rev Gard who resigned due to other important engagements.