KAMPALA – The Prime Minister of the Republic of Uganda, Robinah Nabbanja has revealed that the Government has within the first two years accomplished 20 percent of its commitments and 77 percent of the commitments are on track to be achieved.
Speaking at the launch of Manifesto Week 2023, the premier noted that the first two years were largely for planning and transition and is optimistic that the next assessment will indicate a high rating.
During Manifesto Week, the government seeks to take stock of where it has reached and what it needs to do to fast-track implementation but also to explain and share the synergies required in the implementation process of the manifesto commitments.
According to Nabbanja, the Government is on course to achieve most of the targets that were set out in the Manifesto 2021 – 2026.
“In the implementation of the Manifesto, we are guided by the 23 Directives issued by H.E. the President at the first Cabinet Meeting in June 2016 and later reissued again in June 2021. The 23 Directives highlighted the critical priority areas that needed to be attended to, in order to achieve our goals.”
“As you are aware, maintaining peace and security has been and continues to be the core ingredient upon which the various social economic activities are hinged,” she added.
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Some of the highlights of the performance in the implementation of the manifesto as shared by the premier.
i) Government has established a PDM SACCO at each of the 10,594 Parishes and committed to capitalize the 10,594 PDM SACCOs with UGX 1.059.4 trillion, every FY. This FY, Government has so far released UGX 794.55 billion for the revolving funds, out of which UGX 221.975 billion has already been disbursed directly to the bank accounts of 8,879 ready PDM SACCOs in 162 Local Governments.
ii) Government has completed the construction of 20 zonal industrial hubs; 14 zonal industrial hubs have been equipped with welding machines, carpentry machines, tailoring machines, baking machines, stone cutting, block-making machines, shoe-making machines, value addition machines (silos), each facility with the capacity to skill 600 Ugandans per year in different disciplines cost-free. So far 2000 youth have been passed out from these facilities.
iii) The re-organization of the Agricultural sector has registered steady agricultural growth to 4.3% from 2.8%. This is due to the provision of agricultural inputs of seedlings in coffee, tea, sugar, cassava and maize as well as value addition equipment in milk production.
iv) Uganda launched its first satellite last year which will foster technological advancement in the country.
v) Procured and distributed oxygen plants in all 17 Regional Referral Hospitals.
vi) 109 facilities have been upgraded from Health Centre II to Health Centre III under the UGIFT programme from 2020/21 to 2021/22. 11(eleven) Health Centre IIIs are to be constructed and 43 Health Centre IIs upgraded to Health Centre IIIs in 2022/23.
vii) Completed and commissioned 102 seed schools under UGIFT phase one.
viii) Distributed 50,000 laboratory materials to 157 Secondary schools.
ix) Allocated UGX 954.9bn for salary enhancement of scientists in FY 2021/22 and FY 2022/23.
x) The Total number of Sub-county headquarters electrified across the country is 1,063 out of 1,403 Sub – Counties.
xi) Water distribution is now in 1129 sub-counties within the rural areas and in 286 urban areas.
xii) The irrigation area has increased from 19,138ha to 22,797ha against the irrigation potential estimated at 3.03 Million Hectares countrywide.
xiii) Thirty-Seven (37) Solar Powered Irrigation Demonstration sites have been constructed in the Districts of Zombo, Oyam, Dokolo, Nwoya, Omoro, Agago, Nakasongola, Kiryandongo, Buhweju, Buvuma, Hoima, Ibanda, Isingiro, Kalangala, Kanungu, Kasanda, Kibaale, Kyankwanzi, Kyenjojo, Mbarara, Mpigi, Ntungamo, Rakai, Rukungiri, Soroti, Tororo, Namayingo, Sironko, Kapchorwa, Mayuge, Kayunga, Katakwi and Serere. This has increased the country’s irrigable area by 765 acres benefitting 9,421 farmers directly and indirectly through provision of labor.
xiv) Constructed Six (6) medium scale Irrigation schemes of Ngenge (880ha), Rwengaaju (116ha), Tochi (500ha), Mubuku II (480ha) and Doho II (1,000ha) and Wadelai (1,000ha) in the Districts of Kween Kabarole, Oyam, Kasese, Butaleja and Pakwach. Irrigation acreage – a total of 3,976 hectares have so far been covered.
xv) Constructed Forty-Four (44) communal valley tanks in Thirty (30) Districts of Nabilatuk, Kotido, Amudat, Kaabong, Karenga, Soroti, Butebo, Kaplebyong, Kumi, Bukedea, Kaabong, Kotido, Lyantonde, Bugiri, Luweero, Nakasongola, Omoro, Arua, Dokolo, Agago, Kayunga, Mbale, Tororo, Mbarara, Kiryandongo, Nwoya, Kibaale, Kiruhura, Isingiro and Sembabule creating a storage capacity of 6.6 Billion litres serving 89,763 livestock.
xvi) Fifty-Eight (58) Valley Tanks were constructed on Individual farms in the Districts of Isingiro, Ntungamo, Sembabule, Nakasongola, Nakaseke, Gomba, Bukomansimbi, Ibanda, Kiruhura, Lyantonde and Mbarara.
xvii) Recruited more Judicial officers to reduce case backlog; appointed 48 judicial officers as magistrates to bring the total number of magistrates Grade 0ne to 212, appointed 16 justices of the high court.
xviii) Operationalized 15 Magisterial areas, 6 High Court Circuits and 16 Grade One Courts.
xix) Government has employed the use of ICT in the judicial system such as the Video Conferencing System and the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS) in 7 Courts stations (Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, Divisions: – Lands, Civil, Commercial, Anti-Corruption; and Mengo Chief Magistrates Court) to weed out corruption and ensure a speedy administration of justice.
xx) Enhanced Community Policing Model of neighborhood Watch in all the 1,403 Sub counties across the Country.
xxi) Government has partnered with the DRC Government to construct economic roads in the DRC of up $330m to promote regional trade.
xxii) Uganda had contributed up to 1000 troops in the EAC regional peace initiative within the DRC.
xxiii) To enhance regional market opportunities Border Export Zones at Mpondwe and Elegu borders have been gazetted for facilitating regional trade.
However, Nabbanja says they haven’t been on a smooth surface and have faced a number of challenges that have led to delays in the acquisition of land for flagship projects across sectors.
“Compensations are expensive and quite often delay project executions. The government, however, is working on the acquisition of utility corridors as a means to address this challenge.”
She also took note of the slow progress in the implementation of various key Government infrastructure projects blaming some cases of shoddy work done especially within Local Government.
“Government, through my office is committed to ensuring that we strengthen coordination in the implementation of these various government projects so that they can realize their intended objectives.”
Premier also warned of corruption cases which are on the rise, noting that it undermines the different efforts invested to achieve government targets.
However, she said the Government is intensifying the fight against the vice by strengthening its investigative mechanisms within the various anti-corruption agencies to aid successful prosecution of the suspected corrupt culprits.
The Manifesto Week 2023 runs from May 12 to May 26, 2023.
