{UAH} 51 YEARS ON, PRESIDENT MUSEVENI GIVES HIS ALL FOR BUSOGA

On the occasion of marking another year in the post-independence era,
there is prevailing, though contained, criticism of President Museveni
in regard to his handing out support in cash and seeds to Busoga,
personally and through his assistants. The criticism is in total
disregard of the needs of Busoga which require a multi-pronged
approach to surmount. The President is in fact well ahead of most
observers and guardians of policy interventions for Busoga and Uganda
at large.

What has made Busoga poor in spite of its position at the gateway of
Uganda? If one observed the map of Uganda in self-sustaining
geographical terms, it would be realized that Basoga are poor though
their sub-region is endowed with grand development generating features
like power dams and tourism potential simply because the place lacked
a traditional domestic income generation culture.

The West of Uganda has always been known for wide-ranging agriculture
for banana, millet and milk production. Buganda is known for bananas
and coffee just like Bugisu. West Nile is known for tobacco, Karamoja
for cattle herding, Northern region for simsim, millet, Teso for
potatoes, Kigezi for Irish potatoes and vegetables, and so on. Busoga
is always a consumer, only working to enrich other areas as well as
hosting major national installation whose benefits are shared by the
whole country. This has hindered family-level self-sustenance.

It's of recent that Busoga began adopting agricultural practices for
household survival under the auspices of the President at the head of
previous minimal interventions. You see, agriculture as a backbone of
the economy is inherent in Uganda and didn't require administrative
intervention till things became so bad. Most Basoga had gone into the
service (civil and entrepreneurial) industry forgetting that formal
employment isn't enough to cover a human beings needs. There were
Basoga holding key positions who didn't have even a single plant or
animal at home.

In 2004, President Museveni and former Bugabula North MP, Mr. Moses
Kizige, initiated a special programme for an agricultural revolution
in Busoga. All was set to cause a big transformation only for Kizige
to be fought till he lost his seat. It required starting from zero
again. When Hon. Kadaga became speaker, she asked the President for a
special agricultural programme.

Last year, when the implementation phase was underway, politicians
began to fight for attention at the expense of the programme. It's
then that the President appointed a special advisor, Ms. Maureen
Kyalya, to undertake a drive to reach the grass root low-level farmers
and link them to prosperity.

As we talk, ground nut seeds are being distributed at an unprecedented
scale. Twenty tones (twenty thousand kilograms) are being given out to
the first beneficiaries, with each getting thirty kilograms. The
estimated produce is impressive. In total, 666acres will be planted
with each acre expected to yield 5, 000kilograms. There are two
planting season in a year which means over thirteen billion shillings
will be raised in total. Divided by the number of beneficiaries leaves
each with 40million shillings-twice the income level targeted by the
prosperity for all programme.

The beneficiaries will then share seeds with others, each returning
the 30 kilos they would have been advanced. The rest is for sale and
consumption. For non-agricultural projects, cash is being extended to
them in groups and SACCOs for investment in their business. Boda boda
operators are benefitting from this by being able to afford their own
machines than sharing in shifts per day. The cash is a revolving fund
going down to the grass root network. State House administrator, Ms.
Lucy Nakyobe, laid ground work for the success of the programme by
going down to the ground to and doing research on the situation before
releasing the budget. If all civil servants kept in touch with the
peasant networks, there would be no losses of funds or failure in
implementation as seen with target workers who serve their interests
only. There wouldn't be bad roads and government structures.

Busoga's transformation will only come through relevant policy
formulation, involved leadership (with presence among the people) and
clamouring for identity in the cultural production cycle like other
areas which have sustained their people by harnessing their
agricultural comparative advantage. If adopted, this approach will
make 2013 a special year in the journey of Busoga to prosperity and
happiness, which is the real taste of independence. Happy celebrations
to all Ugandans!

Faruk Kirunda

Published in Observer on independence day