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Saturday, December 18, 2010
THE LAW ON TRADITIONAL LEADERS IF PASSED MAY END BUGANDA'S MARRIAGE WITH UGANDA
His Majesty Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II 36th King of Buganda
THE LAW ON TRADITIONAL LEADERS IF PASSED MAY END BUGANDA'S MARRIAGE WITH UGANDA
NRM Government is from time to time after using confrontational strategies on Buganda unfortunately this time, things may not move on well as Government may anticipate. Baganda are getting fed up of a Government which is meant to witch hunt them and it may be better to shelve the bill which is in pipeline. We in Buganda are not senseless people. We know what we want and it is absurd that the NRM Government instead of working on priorities to get people out of poverty etc, it is busy scheming to make Buganda off the map. This move may be the greatest risk by the NRM Government which could easily see the marriage break up.
William Kituuka Kiwanuka
THE OTHER 35 KABAKAS: [PLAGIARISED FROM WIKIPEDIA]
It may be a mere joke to imagine that Buganda and its cultural history can be disorganized by legislation aimed at killing it. It may not be that simple.
1. Kato Kintu, early fourteenth century
2. Chwa I, mid fourteenth century
3. Kimera, c.1374-c.1404
4. Ttembo, c.1404-c.1434
5. Kiggala, c.1434-c.1464 and c.1484-c.1494
6. Kiyimba, c.1464-c.1484
7. Kayima, c.1494-c.1524
8. Nakibinge, c.1524-c.1554 (Followed by a period of Interregnum, c.1554-c.1555)
9. Mulondo, c.1555-1564
10. Jemba, c.1564-c.1584
11. Suuna I, c.1584-c.1614
12. Sekamaanya, c.1614-c.1634
13. Kimbugwe, c.1634-c.1644
14. Kateregga, c.1644-c.1674
15. Mutebi I, c.1674-c.1680
16. Juuko, c.1680-c.1690
17. Kayemba, c.1690-c.1704
18. Tebandeke, c.1704-c.1724
19. Ndawula, c.1724-c.1734
20. Kagulu, c.1734-c.1736
21. Kikulwe, c.1736-c.1738
22. Mawanda. c.1738-c.1740
23. Mwanga I, c.1740-c.1741
24. Namuggala, c.1741-c.1750
25. Kyabaggu, c.1750-c.1780
26. Jjunju, c.1780-c.1797
27. Semakookiro, c.1797-c.1814
28. Kamaanya, 1814 – 1832
29. Suuna II, 1832 – 1856
30. Muteesa I, 1856 – 1884
31. Mwanga II, 1884 – 1888 and 1889 – 1897
32. Kiweewa, 1888 – 1888
33. Kalema, 1888 – 1889
34. Daudi Chwa II, 1897 – 1939
35. Muteesa II, 1939 – 1969 (Followed by a period of Interregnum 1969 – 1993)
36. Muwenda Mutebi II, 1993 – present.
Govt offers cultural leaders big pay
By Francis Kagolo and Moses Mulondo
THE Government has gazetted a Bill which provides for first class travel for cultural leaders and free education for two of their biological children up to university.
The Institution of Traditional or Cultural Leaders Bill, 2010, seeks to operationalise article 246 of the constitution, on the institution of traditional/cultural leaders.
Among the benefits is an official four-wheel drive car, an escort vehicle and tax free allowances. The Bill was presented to Parliament by culture state minister Lukia Nakadama. The Speaker, Edward Ssekandi, referred it to the committees on gender and legal and parliamentary affairs for scrutiny.
Hitherto, the Government has been paying a monthly allowance of sh5m cultural leaders.
The Government also promises to provide security for cultural leaders and their families and an undisclosed amount for burial arrangements when they die. There will be a contribution by the Government towards the rehabilitation of the official residences of cultural leaders and maintenance of gazetted cultural sites. The Bill also seeks to provide for the resolution of issues relating to cultural leaders which may not have been resolved.
But Buganda Kingdom loyalists attending the Buganda Conference (Ttabamiruka) at Hotel Africana, protested several provisions of the Bill, calling it “unconstitutional.”
The kingdom’s attorney general, Apollo Makubuya, said the Bill was a ploy by the central government “to weaken Buganda kingdom and the institution of Kabaka (king).”
He cited section 15(1), which forbids a traditional leader from dealing with foreign governments, except with approval from the minister for foreign affairs. It also empowers the foreign affairs minister to form guidelines to regulate any dealings between cultural leaders and officials of foreign governments.
Under the Bill, traditional leaders are not immune from prosecution. “A traditional or cultural leader is personally liable for any civil wrongs or criminal offences committed by them or their agents,” the Bill asserts.
Section 9(2) states that where there is more than one cultural leader in an area of a regional government, the position of titular head shall be rotational for one year at a time.
“This means that for the case of Buganda, the Kabaka will be a titular head of the kingdom for one year and handover to Ssaabaruli or Ssabanyala,” Makubuya said, to the shock of thousands of participants attending the conference.
Col.BUTIME WARNS NRM ON BUGANDA
Written by David Tash Lumu
Wednesday, 16 June 2010 18:00
Colonel Tom Butime has said that the NRM government must “handle delicately” its frosty relationship with Buganda Kingdom or risk a complete fallout with its major ally in the bush-war that brought President Museveni to power in 1986. “The history of NRM has a great deal to do with the fate of Buganda. The history of NRM is intertwined with the fate of Buganda from 1980 to-date. It means that the existence of NRM has involved Buganda a great deal,” Butime said.
In an interview with The Observer at the Parliament Building on Monday, the NRM historical member said that the recent decision by two former Buganda prime ministers to join a coalition of opposition parties could become a scar on NRM’s historical bond with Buganda, if not carefully handled.
The Observer had sought his views on the political cost of Joseph Mulwanyamuli Ssemwogerere and Dan Muliika joining the opposition.
“The statements of Mulyanyamuli and Muliika [joining IPC] will really hurt or injure the historical, brotherly and umbilical relationship of Buganda and NRM. It is very disturbing to NRM,” Butime said.
Butime, the MP for Mwenge North in Kabalore District, asked NRM party members to handle with care Buganda’s issues because their political existence partly depends on Buganda.
“Anybody who doesn’t handle delicately the relationship between Buganda and NRM is a liability to NRM. Therefore, every effort on the part of NRM and Buganda must not be spared to bring us back to the historical harmony between Buganda and NRM,” he said.
He said that there should be no rush for anybody to make decisions on Buganda affairs.
“As Butime, even if it took us 10 years of talking between NRM and Buganda, I don’t care as long as we emerge in total harmony and nobody should hurry to take decisions on this,” he advised.
Relations between Buganda and the central government hit an all-time low when government blocked Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II from visiting Nakasongola and Kayunga districts where Baruli and Banyala ethnic minorities respectively, are demanding autonomy from Buganda. Buganda accuses the government of propping up separatist groups in the kingdom in order to weaken it.
Indeed in his speech, while officially joining the opposition last week, Ssemwogerere singled out the bad blood between Buganda and the NRM as the cause of his return to politics.
“Our beloved King, Ssabasajja Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, has been barred from travelling to Nakasongola and Kayunga—and has been made the only citizen of this country who needs permission to travel within Uganda,” Ssemwogerere said in his statement.
KABAKA MUTEBI IGNORES MUSEVENI ON FEDERO, PLEASES BAGANDA
Source:http://www.bugandapost.com/main/archives/454
On August 16, 2009, Ssabasajja Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II excited Baganda all over the world when he made it clear that, despite president Museveni thinking that Federo is out of question, Buganda will continue her fight for self-determination and ultimately win. Kabaka Mutebi was addressing tens of thousands of Baganda who turned up at Lubiri to celebrate the 16th anniversary of his coronation onto the Namulondo of Buganda.
Kabaka Mutebi, who returned from a 3 day tour of his Buvuma county during the middle of last week, drew thunderous cheers when he said: “When we hear some people saying that they don’t know what Federo means, I think they have failed to understand what we mean. You should reply to them that Federo is all about justice and truth, and this is what we demand.” The Kabaka made it clear that Federo, with some powers leaving the center and going to regional governments like Buganda, is essential for Uganda to be stable and grow. And he lamented the fact that, even the colonialists practiced more justice than seen today. He told his attentive audience: “If someone is fighting for what has been stolen from him, you may not be able to stop him. It may be impossible for you to make him forget his cause. Whenever our people talk about Federo, what they mean is ‘we want justice’.”
Before the Kabaka spoke, the Chairman of Abataka Abakulu b’Ebika, Omutaka Nakirembeka, Alan Waliggo, told the mammoth crowd of Baganda that President Museveni’s claim that Buganda will never get Federo should be a warning to us, to be careful about voting for non-Baganda leaders. He said: “We are fed up with being used and abused. We shall remain in constant tears until we are in charge of what we get instead of letting others decide.”
The crowd broke into extended laughter when Kabaka’s Minister of State for Information, Medard Lubega Sseggona, told President Museveni’s vice, Gilbert Bukenya: “Please go and educate you friends on how to be loyal to the Kabaka of Buganda.” According to our sources in Mmengo, Bukenya takes full advantage of his very close and long friendship with Katikkiro JB Walusimbi to get himself invited to virtually every public event attended by Kabaka Mutebi.
While it is too early to tell, reports from around Kampala, Mukono and Entebbe, as well as emails from Los Angeles, London and Nairobi, suggest that Baganda here and overseas are very pleased by the Kabaka’s performance. One short email from London fairly represents the general pleasure expressed by Baganda we have heard from: “Nakato: I don’t know if you guys are reporting the news from Kampala about Kabaka’s and Omutaka’s statements in Lubiri. Emplogoma ebogodde! We feel much better after the weak and safe voices of the last 10 days. Awangaale Ssabasajja!”.
BOOK REVIEW: An account of Kabaka Mutebi's reign Print E-mail
Book Review & Art
Written by Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda
Wednesday, 14 October 2009 17:11
Book: King on the Throne
Author: Charles Peter Mayiga
Reviewer: Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda
King on the Throne as its name suggests, is the first book to document in detail the 16-year reign of Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi since his coronation on July 31, 1993.
The author, Charles Peter Mayiga, Buganda’s Information and Cabinet Affairs Minister and Katikkiro Eng. J.B Walusimbi are the only Buganda officials who have served the Kabaka government from before coronation to date. Mayiga started working for the Kabaka’s government on July 4, 1991 when he was interviewed and appointed Administrative Secretary for the Ssaabataka’s Supreme Council (SSC).
The Ssaabataka Supreme Council (SSC) was the name given to the Lukiiko primarily because the law didn’t allow it to assume its correct name. The Lukiiko together with the whole Buganda kingdom had been abolished by President Milton Obote using the 1967 Constitution.
The book therefore gives you the shape in which the Buganda kingdom was before the coronation. It is a revealing and emotional eye witness account. For example, the author found no files or people to consult when he started work in an office provided by John Katende who later became the kingdom’s attorney general.
To give this miserable state of affairs context, he goes back to the 1966 crisis when Apollo Milton Obote disagreed with Sir Edward Muteesa and abolished the Buganda Kingdom. The book gives an interesting account of how Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi has rebuilt his kingdom from scratch.
Reading it in the current context of a strained relationship between the Kabaka and President Museveni, it explains how close the two men were in yester-years and gives reasons that might have affected their relationship.
For example while inaugurating the Ssaabataka Supreme Council (SSC), Kabaka Mutebi outlined its role to include working closely with the NRM government. In fact informing President Museveni about its formation was a big priority.
There is almost nothing that the new monarch did without informing Museveni or inviting him to grace it according to the book. Museveni who rarely watches football matches even made appearances at Buganda Bika Football tournaments and together with the Kabaka they would hand over the trophy to the winner.
The book gives you in detail the role of key actors in the restoration and rebuilding of the Buganda Kingdom; the role individuals like Prof. Apolo Nsibambi who today are not welcome at Mengo played negotiating with Museveni for the return of Buganda’s property (ebyaffe).
Nsibambi headed the Kabaka negotiating team while Gen. Elly Tumwine headed the government team which included Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu and late Col. Sserwanga Lwanga.
If you missed the coronation, the book has a full story including who played what role and the cultural ceremonies that were performed. That forms the early chapters. It is organized in a chronological order.
From coronation to Katikkiro Joseph Mulwanyamuli’s reign, federal agitation and the making of the 1995 Constitution to the fall out between Buganda and Museveni caused by denial of federalism. It also has a chapter on the battles between Museveni and Buganda due to land reforms stretching from 1998 when the Land Act was enacted to the 2007 Land Amendment Bill.
The book concludes with the kidnap of the author on July 18, 2008 and his seven days incarceration. He explains in details conditions in the more than four police cells where he was secretly detained in Kiruhura, Bundibugyo, Kyenjojo, Kampala and Ibanda during his captivity.
It gets emotional when you read about what his family went through during his secret detention. Although he denies it enough pictures to illustrate some of the episodes better, it is written in easy English for everyone to understand. No legal jargon associated with lawyers like him. The Kabaka of Buganda has already read it and commended the work according to the author.
ssemujju@observer.ug
CHARLES PETER MAYIGA TELLS BAGANDA TO ABANDON COWARDICE ON KINGDOM ISSUES
Charles Peter Mayiga
Posted on 20 November 2008
Namubiru Juliet Buganda Government’s official website reports that:
The minister for Information, Lukiiko and Cabinet Affairs in Buganda Government, Charles Peter Mayiga has urged people in Buganda to stop being cowards when it comes to issues concerning Buganda Kingdom.
The minister who was attending a Sunday service at Kitende Church of Uganda appealed to people to always come out openly to support Buganda’s developmental issues in order for the Kingdom to achieve its intended goals and objectives instead of shying away whenever Buganda is mentioned.
Mayiga also called on to people to work very hard in order to earn a living for their families which will lead to a stable and successful Buganda Kingdom.
The service was also dedicated to the life the late Kiberu Christopher who worked so hard for the church.
Canon Henry Ntulume from Nateete also appealed to the Christians to make choice in what they do, to identify good priorities and to pay school fees for their children to make them better citizens in the future who will promote Buganda Kingdom.
THE BUGANDA KINGDOM DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
Programme COMPONENTS
Introduction
Defining the Components
Social Sector Programmes
Economic Sector Programmes
Social Support Sector Programmes
Production Support Sector Programmes
3.1 Introduction
In response to the social and economic ills presented in Chapter One, this chapter hereby presents the BKDS programmes in four sectoral components. These components are proposed within the overall framework of the existing government macro-economic policies and programmes. In other words, the BKDS is envisaged to supplement the existing programmes on poverty eradication and Modernization of Agriculture, among others, with special reference to using what the people are, what they have for themselves and by themselves, as a basis for sustainable development.
3.2 Defining the Components
The components outlined below are inter-related, but for the purpose of effectively managing intervention they can be categories thus:
1) Social Sector Programmes
This includes all those programmes intended to promote social development that include community development (as a primary unit of development action), health and education services, water and sanitation, Communal work, and Culture and Heritage.
2) Economic Sector Programmes
This sector embraces all those programmes and endeavours intended to create and expand income-earning opportunities, which include Sustainable Agricultural Development, Investment and Industrial promotion, Micro Enterprise development, and Land as an Investment Asset.
3) Social Assistance Sector Programmes
These programmes are specifically intended to assist those disadvantaged social groups who have low access to social services, productive assets, and are generally weak to compete for opportunities. The target categories will include the women and the youth, and other categories of that nature.
4) Production Support Sector Programmes
These comprise all those programmes that support or facilitate effective implementation of the three programmes outlined above. These will include Micro-finance, Appropriate Technology Development, Training, Sensitization and Mobilization, Information and Communication Technology development.
Those programmes have been selected with a view of the appropriate mix between employment and income generating activities on one hand, and socio-cultural development on the other. If resources allowed, these programmes will be implemented as an integrated package, with one or a combination of components reinforcing the others.
3.3 Social Sector Programmes
3.3.1 The Revitalized African Village for the Year 2005 (RAV 2005) Programme.
RAV-2005 is an integrated rural community development programme, intended to revive the traditional ‘African Village System’. The ‘African Village System’ used to be a comprehensive village unit comprising self-sufficient homes served with well-maintained social and economic infrastructure. The family, as the smallest unit, and the village as one’s sphere influence, provided the necessary socialization process instilling the values of work ethics, human values and morals, trustworthiness, and nationalism. In other words, the ‘African Village System’ as micro-economy served both economic and social goals.
The proposed RAV-2005 is intended to revive the “African Village System” by blend the traditional efficient socio-economic values and practices with the contemporary knowledge, in order to overcome poor environmental health, food insecurity and malnutrition, unemployment, disease, illiteracy, immorality, and environmental degradation through the implementation of the functionally linked projects of BKDS.
The RAV Concept is of great relevance since 89% of the population resides in rural areas in backward conditions. Whereas the successful implementation of BKDS the programme will result into improved rural conditions, it is necessary to have an independent component “the RAV-2005 Programme”, because past experience has indicated the problems associated with the assumption of trickle down approach. The proposed revival of African Village Programme will therefore be both a means and an end for achieving development at the grass root level. RAV-2005 has two sub-components namely: “The Sustainable African Village Project (SAVP)” and “The Viable African Home Project (VAHP)” to facilitate its implementation.
The Sustainable African Village Project (SAVP) and The Viable African Home Project (VAHP)
The SAVP and VAHP derive their importance from the perspective that majority of the people in Buganda region do not have access to basic necessities of life including a decent home, balanced food, food storage, energy supply, market channels, water and sanitation facilities. The problem with the existing service delivery approach is that the provision of these functionally linked facilities is based more on sectoral than on integrated approach. The SAVP and VAHP will involve facilitation of the community in setting up an integrated and sustainable village concept with:
(i) Basic physical infrastructure of well-maintained network of access roads linking with feeder roads, water sources, recreation grounds, general purpose building for community development programmes and administration;
(ii) Where necessary, establishment of basic social infrastructure such as community schools and health centres;
(iii) A community co-operative society produce store and a mix of middlemen or collective marketing;
(iv) A village community knotted together in the ideal “moral and ethical fabric”;
(v) A decent hygienically acceptable individually owned homes with kitchen, animal husbandry stays, produce sun-drying racks, store, pit latrine/toilet, rubbish pit, bath-shelter, cup-board, clean court-yard, drinking water collecting facility, etc;
(vi) A well-laid out and planned farmland, that containing both nutritious food in plenty and cash produce for domestic income, which will be code-named ‘omusiri gwa kabaka’, where sustainable agriculture and organic farming will be focal points; and
(vii) Fuel utilisation and saving facility, that is environmentally friendly, backed with appropriate agro-forestry.
A model home will be established by BUCADEF in every county as a demonstration venture. RAV-2005 will be catalytic to the reduction of the menace of rural to urban migration among the youths.
3.3.2 Health Education and Services Programme (HESP)
The health sector plays a great role in poverty reduction process. A healthy body and mind means improved productivity, increased saving due to reduction in health care costs, and improved social stability and development. For the next ten years the intervention priority areas related to promotive and preventive health services, mainly through health education, cultural practices and norms, sensitisation, and community support. These components will include:
(i) Facilitating equitable access to health services through construction of community health centres and provision of basic drugs,
(ii) Promoting environmental health practices,
(iii) Controlling communicative diseases and epidemics,
(iv) Promoting increased immunisation coverage,
(v) Promotion of acceptable Nutrition Practices through the concept of ‘Mwanamugimu’,
(vi) Providing Sexuality and Reproductive Health services partly through the Concept of ‘Senga’ and ‘Jjajja’,
(vii) Setting up a quasi-medical insurance community scheme,
(viii) Promoting research in traditional medicine.
3.3.3 Education and Literacy Improvement Programme (ELP)
The Buganda Kingdom region experiences poorly distributed education services. Most of the best schools in Uganda are based in Buganda within Kampala district and its hinterlands but not necessarily used by the students from Buganda’s rural areas. Secondly, quite a large number of adults lack functional skills that can enable them to look after themselves and their families, effectively interact with the immediate environment, and efficiently extracting a living from nature. Improvement in education standards will increase efficient use of the employment and income generating opportunities created by the positive development process in Uganda. The ELP intends to:
(i) Advocate for and participate in putting in place new and maintain existing education institutions irrespective of ownership provided it promotes equity in access. Priority will given to the balance in equitable access to both Primary and secondary schools;
(ii) Induce increased school enrollment through Expanded School Enrolment Campaign;
(iii) Facilitate equitable access to education through extension of Bursaries to the destitute children;
(iv) Promote the concept of computer literacy;
(v) Promote teaching of Luganda, history and culture in schools as a basis of civilization and nationalism;
(vi) Integrate Adolescent Reproductive Health issues in school curriculum through school based ‘Senga’ and ‘Musajjamukulu’;
(vii) Integrate civics education in school curriculum at both primary and secondary levels;
(viii) Revitalise science and vocational training, through special support to science disciplines in schools, apprenticeship and vocational training programmes;
(ix) Enhance the administration of the kingdom's schools and co-ordination of education activities in liaison with national education department; and
(x) Promote village based functional adult literacy schemes, for instance through training in modern farming, craftsmanship, petty business administration, home economics and nutrition, primary health practices, public obligation and rights etc. Most of this will be implemented on the basis of peer educator scheme;
3.3.4 Community Work “Bulungi Bwansi” Schemes (CWS)
The practice of community work should be emphasised, as it enhances community ownership of the facilities, complements government intervention, and fosters the spirit of collectivism and nationalism. The revitalisation of the old tradition of community work will restore the conditions of basic social infrastructure at the community level, for instance; roads, water sources and resources, schools, health centres and recreation grounds.
It is also envisaged to be a training forum, whereby students and school leavers can pick community development experience through the ‘volunteer schemes’.
3.3.5 Water and Sanitation Programme (WAS)
In line with the Central Government’s policy on access to safe water, this component will facilitate the village members to have access to safe water and public health within the confines of each village. The programme aims at reducing water borne and hygiene related diseases in communities, improvement of access to safe water, and the promotion of acceptable sanitation and hygiene practices in homesteads and local institutions.
The mini components will include;
(i) Protection of the spring sites or shallow wells;
(ii) Increase of schools access to safe water through construction of rainwater collection and storage tanks;
(iii) Promotion of schools and community sanitation and positive hygiene behaviours among school children and in homesteads through the concept of Muvubuka Agunjuse; and
(iv) Community capacity building through training, especially training of Health workers, Water User Committees, Water Source Caretakers (Kalinda Luzzi), Pump Mechanics.
3.3.6 Civics and Leadership Development Programme (CALD)
This programme aims at:
(i) Awareness raising and education in matters of the national constitution, civil rights and obligations, the rule of law, democracy, and human rights.
(ii) The promotion of traditional local governance blended with modern management principles and practices.
3.3.7 Ethics, Culture and Heritage Promotion Programme (ECHP)
This programme aims at identifying the major causes of immorality in society and formulate and implement schemes to:
(i) Inculcate the sprit of love within society and sensitize the communities on the ideal human values and dignity;
(ii) Sensitise the general public on obligations and right to individual and national property, as a basis of safeguarding against their abuse;
(iii) Sensitise the public about devotion to ones nation, society, culture and heritage, family;
(iv) Fight corruption in the society;
(v) Fight against use of narcotic drugs;
(vi) Create awareness and emphasis on the importance of cultural identity and cultural heritage;
(vii) Protect, preserve, enhance, and consolidate buganda's cultural heritage including the family and clan systems, cultural norms, beliefs and values, customs, traditions, crafts e.g. Bark-cloth making, literature, history, philosophy, music, dance, and theatre, architecture, art, historical sites and monuments;
(viii) Mobilize the people to organize themselves along cultural institutions, particularly within families and clans to participate in economic and social activities, namely in education, health, sports, production, marketing, banking and training;
(ix) Safeguard and promote the buganda cultural heritage, notably through establishment of cultural data banks and libraries for the collection of oral traditions and the enhancement of such traditions; and
(x) Conserve the historical and cultural monuments and promote traditional architecture, as a basis of earning income from tourism.
3.4 Economic Sector Progammes
This programme component aims at directly increasing employment and income generating opportunities. These include support to income generation namely agriculture and off-farm activities, industry establishment, commerce and financial and technical support to micro-enterprises.
3.4.1 Sustainable Agriculture as a business programme (SAAB)
The thrust of this programme will be the development and implementation of agricultural development projects. The rationale for emphasising agricultural development are that;
(i) Agriculture is the backbone of Uganda’s economy and main source of income,
(ii) Buganda region has conducive climate and soil conditions, and
(iii) There is a need to ensure household domestic income and food security.
This programme places emphasis on shifting from farming for subsistence to farming for profit (as a business) by enabling farmers to learn to critically examine the costs related to production and marketing and the benefits that occur through improved efficiencies from making informed operational and management decisions.
It is also geared at increasing the incomes of the rural poor economy such that the people will be able to raise incomes and thus improve their standards of living in terms of housing, food security and basic household needs while contributing to the larger goal of making the transition from a subsistence to a cash economy or the creation of wealth.
Annually progressive targets for minimum annual per capita food stock and per capita income within an average home will be set over the 10 years of BKDSs horizon. The priority intervention areas will be arable farming with emphasis on organic farming, livestock production, fisheries, environmental conservation, and appropriate farm technology. The sub-components include:
(i) Introduction of commercially viable high value crops in every homestead, in agricultural zones to benefit from comparative advantage, in order to guarantee adequate household incomes for meeting basic necessities, household capital saving, and investment in secondary commercial ventures;
(ii) Promotion of Agriculture by developing a school garden for every school;
(iii) Encouragement of major large scale farming with out-grower schemes;
(iv) Production of hunger-crops, for instance cassava, yams, and cereal crops, in order to ensure food security at the household level, and establishment of proper harvesting and post-harvest management methods;
(v) Establishment of demonstration farms at schools, institutions and community headquarters;
(vi) Diversification through arable and livestock farming, fish farming and aquatic culture;
(vii) Introduction of appropriate mechanized farming and animal traction system;
(viii) Broadening the accessibility to inputs through inducement of private stockist centers within the sub-county through BUCADEF initiatives or individual private proprietors;
(ix) Developing research and technology (R&T) capacity through investment in community based demonstration farms at the different levels, appropriate technologies for instance draught power, low cost irrigation schemes, valley dam construction, etc;
(x) Development of community based extension service through training, integration of indigenous and modern pest and disease control methods;
(xi) Facilitating the establishment of agro-processing, in order to add value to produce, reduction of transportation costs, and increasing longevity of produce, etc…; and
(xii) Facilitation of community based farming and marketing associations following a co-operative movement spirit and system.
In order to complete the cycle of sustainability, agro-forestry will be an integral component of agricultural development. agro-forestry will not only ensures sources of food, but will also promote environmental and ecosystem preservation, ensure source of fuel and building material, provide cheap medication derived from herbs, but also preserves culture and antiquities.
3.4.2 Investment and Industry Promotion Programme (IIP)
This programme places focus on:
(i) Enhancement of small-medium scale investments and commercial undertakings in the Kingdom;
(ii) The promotion of business management skills and entrepreneurship spirit among the business fraternity;
(iii) The development and promotion of industry and commerce, industrial and vocational training, enterprise and entrepreneurial development, extension advisory and training services; and
(iv) Identification and registration of all the Kabaka’s land and evolving of viable investment ventures for its commercial use.
3.4.3 Micro Enterprise and Appropriate Technology Development Programme (METD)
Micro-enterprise stimulate local economic development through creation of job opportunities, financing agricultural production, enhancement of household income, provision of supplement incomes in time of lean production, social cohesion through the process of group formation, and is a foundation for technological development and rural industrialization. Uganda has a myriad of micro enterprises and needs such that addressing these varied needs and interests becomes almost impossible. For effective targeting, this strategy draws a distinction between the categorical component of ‘Processing, Construction and Repair Enterprises’ and ‘Business Enterprises’. The two sectors experience different needs and constraints, hence need different nature of interventions.
(i) Processing, Construction and Repair Enterprises (PCRE)
The concept of artisan among the Baganda predates colonial period. To those people in urban areas, it has served a major source of income, intermediate and final products for industrial and construction sector, and served as a workshop for technological innovations. The following actions will be undertaken to promote the evolvement and development of the Processing, Construction and repair Enterprises:
* Facilitation of a person or a group to establish small-medium scale industrial investment, through provision of capital support;
* Through networking with Vocational Institutes, facilitate technological development through flexible training courses in labour intensive artisan-ship;
* Establishment of pilot projects by way of industrial estates;
· In collaboration with the central government, undertake physical planning for the existing artisan workshops, for possible relocation on Kingdom land;
· Promote the development of rural based micro-enterprises through facilitation for establishment of agro-processing enterprises;
· Provide elementary Business and Financial Management training;
· Promote science subjects as a foundation vocational training in the country; and
· Advocate for fiscal and legal regulatory policies (tax and patent rights) for effective operation of these enterprises.
(ii) Business Enterprise Management (BEM)
The development of indigenous business sector, in particular, is undermined by a host of problems that range from limited knowledge in investment appraisal, sales management, public relations and advertisement, marketing, accounting, and effective profit management. While the medium and large business enterprises are equipped and have benefited from the seminars occasionally organised by the investment authorities, the small entrepreneurs are left out and at worst suffocated in the process of competition and taxation.
This strategy intends to undertake action to promote the development of the indigenous Business enterprises in the following ways:
* Organising elementary training courses for the small entrepreneur in investment appraisal, forming and financing, effective management, product or service marketing, public relations and advertisement, financial management, and export management;
* Extension of credit to the viable Business Enterprises;
· Supporting nascent through advocacy for fiscal and legal reforms; and
* Inducement of family and clan networking.
3.5 Social Support Sector Programmes (SSS)
While many of the BKDS programmes outlined herein are expected to induce change in the social and economic conditions of the poor, they may by-pass the disadvantaged groups namely; the women, youth, children the disabled, orphans, the old, isolated, fishermen, the chronically ill, and others. This is primarily because these groups face differential constraints within the production cycle. Therefore, special considerations must be given to these groups in the implementation of the programmes/projects spelt out in BDKS through a targeted and/or multi-sectoral approach.
3.5.1 Disadvantaged Facilitation Programme ((DFP)
This project focuses at providing for the disabled, aged, orphaned, and destitute and at their protection in society, using the traditional based approach to the extent possible.
3.5.2 Women Empowerment Programme (WEP)
Women are the most under-privileged sections of society, yet they represent the biggest proportion of the population and they are the producers of wealth. In Buganda region, whereas women do not have land ownership rights, they may have access to their husband’s land only that the opportunity of benefiting from their efforts is questionable. Despite of their involvement in the triple role of reproduction, production, and community, women are still poverty-prone largely because they bear asymmetric rights and obligations in those arenas.
The implementation of the BKDS intends to ensure that:
(i) Efforts will be made to review the cultural obstacles to women’s progress, but not necessarily stifling the cultural norms in which a Muganda woman derives her integrity and self-dignity;
(ii) In quest for improving women living conditions and expanding their economic and social gains, a gender is an integral component in each of the BKDS proposed programme components, for instance; mainstreaming women’s access to land, agricultural inputs, income, credit and services, education, extension, health as well as other opportunities;
(iii) Special intervention projects will be designed to assist poverty-prone women groups, for instance female headed households, in order to broaden their opportunities to economic and social services;
(iv) Where deemed necessary, special developmental assistance will be extended to women; and
(v) The Gender Policy will be the reference point mainstreaming gender in the implementation of the BKDS.
3.5.3 Youth Development Programme (YDP)
Youths hold the potential and reserve of the human resource. However, the youth have limited access to productive assets, specifically land, capital and skills. Some of the school-going age lack school requirements. This drives the youth to the urban setting, where even the economic and social infrastructure is not adequate to cater for their needs, thus the majority ending up with degraded morals.
Special interventions will be developed to cater for the holistic development of the youth in order to enable them to meet their social, economic and political goals. These projects will include; Royal Youth Education Fund, Adolescent Reproductive Health Project that is under way, Credit tailored to the demands of the youth, etc…
3.6 Production Support Sector Programmes
One of the greatest challenges in implementing poverty reduction in Africa in the recent time, has been underplaying the role of production supportive institutions at the sub-national and micro levels. In respect to Uganda, majority of the poor lack initial capital just as the lower local administration structures lack capacities for effectively mobilization of the communities for project identification, designing, monitoring and evaluation. Therefore it is the conviction of the BKDS that a Production Support be instituted to service the implementation of the Economic, Social, and Social Assistance programmes.
3.6.1 The Royal Micro-Finance Scheme (RMFS)
Recent studies have indicated that limited and/or lack of access to credit is one of the constraints to the development of the rural economy. Most of the banking facilities are located at district headquarter and the poor living in the rural areas are unable to access these institutions due to distance and ignorance. The few who are aware lack collateral that is required by the formal baking institutions, and sometimes are scared of the short grace period and the higher interest rates on loans. In addition, the existing credit schemes have tended to target the myriad small enterprises without appraising the availability of their production and without giving due consideration to capacity of the intermediary agencies to provide the technological input in the production cycle. The end result has been poor loan recovery.
The Royal Micro-Finance scheme intends to set up a self sustaining micro finance institution that will, in addition to co-operating and collaborating with existing micro-finance organizations, provide savings and micro credit services to select commercially and economically viable ventures with special reference to regional endowment, availability of lucrative markets, high profit returns, and the prevailing national policy priority.
The Royal Micro-finance Institution intends to:
(i) Mobilise locally and internationally financial resources at low interest rates for the establishment of a revolving credit that will gradually evolve into a Royal Development Bank (RDB);
(ii) Train loan officers;
(iii) Prepare the potential borrowers to manage and use of credit, assist in formation of guarantee groups, training in areas related of production, repayment and saving;
(iv) Select those potential borrowers meeting the lending requirements; and
(v) Co-operate, collaborate, and network within the existing non-governmental micro-credit schemes to evolve synergy.
3.6.2 Advocacy, Training and Mass-Mobilization for Development Programme (ATMD)
The level of success in achieving the targets for each of the four proposed BKDS Components, the Production Support component inclusive, will depend on the efficiency and effectiveness with which advocacy, training and community mobilization for development has been conducted.
This programme aims at catalysing rural development through awareness creation, developmental guidance, advice, training, mobilization and support being directed in respect of all the envisaged community economic and social development programmes.
This programme is intended to:
(i) Publicize the goal, mission, objectives, and the strategies of the BKDS;
(ii) Promote capacity building through training of Local Government and Kingdom Officials and participating NGO’s in participatory community mobilization methods and tools (for instance through Participatory Rural Appraisal). This will result into community acceptability and integration of the community knowledge and resources thus empower the communities in the planning and implementation of BKDS;
(iii) Through those agents, help the communities analyse, plan, and implement their projects as part of achieving the BKDS intentions;
(iv) Evolving suitable codes of conduct by and for the communities to enable creation of a disciplined society;
(v) Working with the Local Administration System to formulate appropriate positively coercive laws and by-laws that will help induce ethical living, hard work, etc…;
(vi) Enlist the entire community’s commitment towards development using all traditional and conventional means including music, dance and drama;
(vii) Institute the “Royal Recognition Award System” for the acknowledgement of the Kingdom’s excellent performers at all levels;
(viii) Establish linkages with the Ugandan Diaspora.
(ix) Seek partnership with the central government, local government, Non-governmental Organisations, donor community.
3.6.3 Sustainable Management of Natural Resources Programme (SMNR)
The management natural of resources through protection of flora and fauna serves as an insurance for satisfying the basic needs of the current and future generation. Despite the fact that Buganda region still has rich and fertile land and a favourable climate, the current practices are likely to result into environment degradation and subsequent degradation. Encroachment on tropical rainforest, vegetation cover, and wetland is increasingly becoming common, and its negative effects on rainfall seasonal patterns, water reservoirs, crop yields, fuel reserves, food security, and living standards is becoming obvious. In particular, the energy situation in the region has started to worsen due to increasing dependency fuel- wood.
The Sustainable Management of Natural Resources Programme will be implemented through:
(i) Mobilization of communities for sustainable land exploitation and conservation;
(ii) Awareness creation of Land as an investment asset and sensitisation of people about land as a production good;
(iii) Encouragement of the securing of land leases and convenient access as a step of land asset consolidation;
(iv) Establishment of a central Land Transfer Desk;
(v) Physical planning of large elements of land for appropriate land use;
(vi) Undertaking innovations in cost effective fuel saving schemes (solar, hydro, wind, animal products);
(vii) Mobilization of communities for agro-forestry practices;
(viii) Advocacy for wetlands conservation; and
(ix) Advocacy for enhanced rural electrification.
3.6.4 Hard work Enhancement Programme (HWEP)
Hand-in-hand with the ATMDP, this programme aims at identifying the major causes of poor work habits in society and mobilise and counsel the general public to reverse the poor work attitudes, work ethics and integrity.
3.6.5 Commerce and Marketing Development Programme (CMDP)
Under this programme, the communities will be enabled to appreciate the spirit of working together with the aim of benefiting from all those synergies that accrue to a group such as reduced costs, value addition, operational efficiencies and greater market access. These prospective Associations/Unions shall be entities owned and controlled by farmers and managed under sound business principles.
This programme therefore, places focus on:
(i) The provision of efficient marketing services for poverty eradication under the “Improved Marketing for Poverty Eradication Project (IMPEP)”. Under this project, a Public Liability Company will be established by the Kingdom for, among others, processing and securing lucrative markets for produce
(ii) The revival and promotion of the co-operative movement system as a catalyst to effective marketing in particular, and community development in general; and
(iii) Provision of information related to services and markets.
3.6.6 Information and Communication Technology Infrastructure Programme (ICTP)
This programme will put emphasis on developmental information dissemination to the communities by putting in place efficient forms of media, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centres equipped with computers with access to the internet. This component is intended to support production because the rural areas will be in position to share valuable information concerning their own production specialty. Training in computer literacy will be an integral component ICT infrastructure.
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