MP Kabasharira, stakeholders want Ntungamo split into 3 Districts to enhance service delivery

The Leaders of Ntungamo District have struggled alot to prove services delivery on the ground with their electorates due to the size of the district. This is something that has affected them in terms of sharing of road units and other privileges from the Central Government. Leaders want the district split into three districts so that services can easily reach the people.

However, the area Member of Parliament for Rushenyi county, Naome Kabasharira has come up and tasked the Leadership of Ntungamo District to write to the Ministry of Local Government reminding the minister to reconsider their plea on dividing Ntungamo District into three Districts.

 Ntungamo District is one of the remaining biggest districts in the whole country including Kasese and Tororo Districts and the rest were all split where almost each county became a district.

MP Kabasharira says over ten years ago, the president pledged that he will give them road units as the district to cater for the five remaining counties but that promise has never yielded any results since he mentioned it and yet the road coverage that Ntungamo District has is quite huge and they have only one road unit like other smaller districts which are equivalent to constituencies.

Kabasharira has also mentioned that even the money that they get from the government is not sufficient enough to work on the roads within the district because the road coverage is too much to about 2000km of road network compared to other districts that have only 60km.

‘We cannot honestly work on our roads with that limit, and it has really taken us backwards. People cannot work without communication, communication is vital if the roads are worked on people will just do their businesses and you don’t need to give them  money. Right now the roads in Ntungamo at large are very poor compared to other districts and it is lagging behind us as a district. Now the solution is that we divide this district now into three districts like other districts are. Rushenyi should become a district, Kajara should become a district, Ruhaama should become a district and then the Municipality, that is when we can have our roads worked on like any other districts” said MP Kabasharira.

MP Kabasharira made this call while launching mechanised maintenance of a 10km road of Rugarama -Kyafoora. This event was held at Rugarama North Sub-county in Rushenyi county. This was in conjunction with the leadership of Ntungamo District led by the LCV Chairman Sam Mucunguzi. This road is going to cost about UGX 133,100,000 and its part of the transitional funds worth 400m especially to work on Rushenyi roads lobbied by the area MP Kabasharira.

In her presentation, she indicated that in the previous district Council which was headed by the former Chairman Denis Singahakye, they ably moved a motion in the council and it was overwhelmingly supported by everyone that Ntungamo should be cut into three Districts.

They took their motion to the Ministry of Local Government and surprisingly other people were given districts and Ntungamo was denied.

According to Kabasharira, she revealed that the council resolution that was made by then is now expired that requires the current District leadership led by the Chairperson to write while requesting and reminding local government ministry and also attaching that resolution that was made by the other council, so that when the discussion for giving districts comes to parliament then the area MPs from Ntungamo district can take it on.

“Am happy that when we met with the District Chairperson Sam Mucunguzi, he confirmed that he is going to write that letter and give it to us members of parliament and we take it up from there and we shall definitely take it because all our members of parliament from Ntungamo we are in agreement that this district should be divided and we shall also convince our colleagues and even the His Excellency the president to pass it on” she added.

MP Kabasharira added that the reasons why people request for divisions or sub-divisions of their Districts, the biggest answer is services to be nearler to their people.

She also revealed that there is an issue in the Ministry of Education where every year every district is given a quarter of the students to go the University, for example Bushenyi which had five counties and they now all Districts, when they were five counties they were getting eight quarters but today they are getting fourty in number  but Ntungamo is still getting eight only.

“We are  missing out on good services that would bring development in our district so it is high time that we also follow other districts that have been split and we get services. We are lucky Hon. Rapael Magyezi who is the minister for Local Government is soon bringing that issue in parliament for those who like their districts to be divided and the sooner we do it the better that’s why i request the chairperson Ntungamo District to write that letter so that we are well prepared and not be taken up by time” She added.

According to Sam Mucunguzi, the Ntungamo District Boss also said that as Ntungamo district leadership is not failing the splitting of the district into districts. He said the previous regime that was led by Singahakye made a resolution that was tabled by Councilor Nicolus Mujuni that Ntungamo should split into other districts and it was passed.  He confirmed that the resolution is already in Kampala for some years.

“Now it is going to be my obligation to write to the ministry reminding them that we as council the resolution was made. As council we did our part and we continue to do it, the rest is about the parliament. I appeal to Our MPs to take it to the parliament so that it can be passed and Our District can be divided” said Mucunguzi, the Ntungamo LC5 Boss.

Ntungamo District has about five constituencies which include Kajara, Rushenyi, Ruhaama main, Ruhaama East and Ntungamo municipality.