Mr. Nagenda, Praise the Lord. I thank God for granting me an opportunity to visit Namutamba after some years. However, when I got there, I wondered whether you have really helped the people of Namutamba. For what you may have been able to do, thank God for it, but given the Presidential Advisor you are, it is a drop in the ocean. Namutamba is a shame. It is true some people have contributed to making it a shame it is, but then you should have done better. Mr. Nagenda Sir, I left the Demonstration School after my PLE in 1973, but the road to Namutamba was not what it is now! I was shocked to find that it requires a four wheel drive for one to pass well opposite your tea factory. Mr. Nagenda Sir, this by any standards is unacceptable. You are aware that the Estate you bought from the Lea Wilson's in or around 1972 was the basis for the living of many people and it is really sad to find that the factory is not in production. Given your contacts in Government and elsewhere really could you decide to leave this entity to the decay it is today? Where is the popular Namutamba Tea? This Government is your darling, but given the investor you are; how do you decide to relax in Kampala as the estate is run down to the level it is? Mr. Nagenda can you really have the courage to take journalists to Namutamba and proudly show them your family empire? What is amiss?
Mr. Nagenda it is time we leave politicking which does not help us and get to issues. By the time you taught at Namutamba Dem School prior to joining Makerere University, it is possible that over 70% of the children in the school were depending on the Lea Wilson Estate for a livelihood. Majority of those I studied with at the Dem school belong to that category, how do you decide to leave the people of Namutamba die of poverty when that estate could employ hundreds? Some of the returns to your advice to the President should be your capacity to negotiate issues of poverty where your family estate could bail out hundreds. It was sad for me to see cattle in your paddocks and learnt that the cattle is for other people who pay a few shillings for their cattle to graze in the paddocks! These paddocks used to be tick free, how on earth do you get every dick's cattle in those paddocks? Can you imagine that some locals are now accusing you that your overgrown tea estate is a breeding area for snakes which end up into their households?
Mr. Nagenda Sir, let all of us put pride a side and make it a point that our people can see decent lives before they die. The people of Namutamba I am reliably informed want Namutamba T. T. C back to the status of being Government aided, and you are best positioned to see this a reality. Can you kindly organize some fund raising to see attempts for Namutamba to regain its glory. Just take time off Sir and visit the College premises, just get to the executive residence of Mr. David Kiyimba, you may cry tears. Mr. Nagenda, I learnt that the children of the Late Mutumba want to sell off Namutamba Playground where we used to meet every 26th of December. Can you kindly help to intervene to see Mityana District buy this ground for the community?, I was told they need shs 12 million.
I kindly appeal to you in one of the forthcoming columns, "One Man's week" to put hope into the hearts of the people of Namutamba which I think best qualifies as your village area and tell them the strategies you have as a son of the soil to see the Glory of Namutamba rise and shine again which glory was killed by the NRM?
Thank you.
William Kituuka Kiwanuka
Son of the Late Besuel Kiwanuka a long time teacher at Namutamba Teachers' College
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Hon, Gordon Sematiko responds
ReplyDeleteThank you Mr Kituuka for your vivid message BUT I just have a few questions to ask.
1. We have been having several meetings / fundraisings for Namutamba, is that news to you?
2. As an OB what share have you contributed in your own capacity so that we blame others for failure to give a hand.?
3. Am not here to defend Mr Nagenda because when he was purchasing the farm, We did not share their objectives. Are you sure they have not met THEIR rather than what you assume to have been their objectives?
Its true the Mutumba's are selling off the play ground, i advised them to survey the ground, i was willing to pay for the surveying then we fund raise for the purchase price of a known size, they have not come back to me.
Mityana District local government has our representatives whom we elected to submit our requests Ms. Mukabaliisa Rose and Allan Nshimye. Mr Nagenda does not sit in this fora, they are responsible for the namutamba circle roa I sat in the district road committee where funds were identified to do works on that road last year. Am also wondering what happened to those funds. Please ask those two.[Allan & Rose] and not Mr Nagenda.
Its also wrong to link private business with government, your concluding remarks are wrongly placed, much as i know you as a strong supporter of UPC [olala otunu], am sure Namutamba's glory was eroded during [UPC] Obote's government in the 80's and not NRM.
Gordon Sematiko K
Mr. Sematiko,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the response. You may not be aware that i was called upon to help start Namutamba secondary School, i was there for three months and it is because Mr. Bukenya had all along wanted to create his empire that i pulled out. I have been much involved in work as Old boy of St. Mary's College Kisubi from 2005 and I am just putting that role a side. From 2001 I was involved with the Private Students at Makerere University voicing their concerns. I am a man of little means but I swallow what i can. My home as of now is Wakiso where my father was buried. I am not like you who is a Member of parliament for this place. actually, it is after the two days I spent at namutamba that I realized that Nagenda should do much more.
As for the play field, i would not see it best that you solicit your own funds, if there is LC III input in this area let it be ans it would be best if you got funds where at the end of the day you don't blame people for not giving you votes yet you used your funds.
Mr. Sematiko stop assuming the work of Local governments to be an MP's work. What ever concerns Namutamba is a joint responsibility of all who have been through that place either the institutions or those who have lived there in any other capacity. That is why facilities like the play ground at kabungo should be added to the priorities of 2011.
Be sure, i will try to put in some input on Namutamba.
William Kituuka
A RESPONSE FROM ALLAN NSIMYE LC V COUNCILOR
ReplyDelete1. Thank You for forwarding the email to me, since am not a member of the mailing list. I hope members will not mind, my observations since my name appears in the discussions.
2. The statements directed to the person of Mr John Nagenda or his PRIVATE business were harsh, and the innuendos in regard to his public service role just unfair. It would be easier to just politely ask for his help in using his column for the public good of Namutamba whenever he can, at that moment any welcome developmental ideas from all "Namutambans" will be welcome.
3. It is true as noted by Hon Sematiko that in the past, fund raising functions have been held in Namutamba addressing different matters of public concern. The most recent was organized by NACODI at Namutamba Dem School. At that function, Hon Sematiko who was also in attendance informed all about the Presidential pledge of 131 million to rebuild Namutamba Dem School.
4. The implementation of the reconstruction was by the District, under my docket as Secretary for Education until May 2011. I now inform you that 7 class rooms were built and benches also suppled in accordance with the pledge design ( we thanked NRM, our leaders led by Hon Sematiko, as well as H.E the President for his generosity) I have detailed the above so that you know the actual work being done to revamp Namutamba. This effort needs more concerned Namutambans and requires appreciating the roles of various players rather than criticizing.
5. Lastly as Hon Sematiko rightly stated he sits on the District Roads committee, and funds were identified for Namutamba Circle, I am a member of the District Executive and Hon Rose Mukabalisa is a member of the District Works Committee which handles among things roads. I can confirm that district leadership whose mandate expires in May passed the road as earmarked for works. That process is now in the hands of the technical people ( procurement CAO etc) but the works will have to be completed since it started with the section from Bulera - Kitemu Kabubu end. The Politicians (Hon Sematiko, Hon Mukabalisa and myself) representing Namutamba have ably served and done their roles.
6. I will be glad to answer any question regarding the district in the future, if forwarded to me
Thank you.
God Bless you all
Nshimye Allan Mbabazi (LC5 Councilor Representing Bulera Sub - County)