Mugasa urges Bunyoro to move beyond affirmative action

Kiryandongo: The Minister of State for Bunyoro Affairs, Grace Mary Mugasa, has challenged leaders and communities in Bunyoro to move beyond dependence on affirmative action and embrace sustainable economic activities to improve household incomes.

Mugasa made the remarks in Kiryandongo during a meeting with district political leaders and technical staff.

She urged farmers to take advantage of the region’s agricultural potential instead of relying heavily on oil and gas.

“We want to leave affirmative action. We have to,” Mugasa said.

Mugasa said oil and gas should not be considered Bunyoro’s main economic niche because the resources are national assets meant to benefit Ugandans across the country.

She encouraged farmers, particularly those with small pieces of land, to diversify their production instead of relying mainly on maize and sugarcane.

Mugasa promoted the four-acre model, combining coffee, dairy cattle, bananas, vegetables, poultry, pigs and fish, saying the approach can provide households with food and regular income.

She also urged farmers to consider available markets before producing, saying sustainable businesses require reliable markets and the ability to generate income throughout the year.

Mugasa warned against excessive tree cutting and charcoal production, saying the destruction of trees and fruit trees could undermine future livelihoods and environmental sustainability.

She revealed that the Ministry of Bunyoro Affairs has a budget of about Shs2.7 billion, with limited funds for direct development interventions.

Mugasa said the ministry is working to renew the Bunyoro Integrated Affirmative Action Development Plan and coordinate development interventions through other government institutions.

Meanwhile, Kiryandongo Chief Administrative Officer Anselm Kyaligonza said the district has approximately 500,000 residents, including about 180,000 refugees.

Kyaligonza said Kiryandongo expects to receive Shs18.8 billion this financial year under the Development Response to Displacement Impacts Project (DRDIP) to support roads, schools, health facilities, infrastructure and climate-related interventions.

He also reported that six secondary schools are being expanded under the Uganda Secondary Education Expansion Project at a cost of more than Shs10 billion.

Kiryandongo District Vice Chairperson Salama Peace said the new political leadership would strengthen oversight of government programmes to ensure they achieve their intended objectives.

“We are going to, in every way, stay aligned to the National Development Plan, monitor all government programmes and ensure that the technical persons are accountable,” Salama said.

She described the leadership’s approach as “eyes on, hands off”, meaning political leaders would closely monitor government programmes while allowing technical officers to implement them.

Salama also called for honest reporting of both achievements and challenges to enable the district and central government to identify gaps and improve service delivery.

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