CITIZENS MANIFESTO DAY IN KAMWENGE DISTRICT

RWECO organized a Manifesto Day in Kamwenge District at Kahunge sub county headquarters on the 29^th May 2012. The event was jointly organized by RWECO member KALI in close collaboration with the partner CBOs and the office of the Speaker Kamwenge district. The objective of the event was to create a platform for citizens to interface with their leaders and engage them on how far they had gone in implementing the Citizens Manifesto one year after getting into office; it was also an occasion for the leaders to provide feedback on government programmes that they were being implementing in the district.
The event included citizens presenting a written report of what they had observed leaders deliver in the past one year. On the other hand leaders also presented their own reports showing how they were progressing with the implementation of their manifestos. An interactive session moderated by Patrick Kamara, a seasoned media moderator, followed the presentations. At least 23 citizens raised issues which were responded to by the elected leaders and civil servants in four separate rounds.
Attendance : about 200 men and women
Categories:
a)     Elected leaders: LCV Chairman, District Executive Committee, district speaker, Councilors; LCIII Chairpersons of 5 sub counties, LCIII Councilors, LCII and LCI Officials. The area MP Frank Tumwebaze – Kibale County, participated in the meeting vial telephone link.
b)    Civil Servants: DPC, District Inspector of Schools, District NAADS Coordinator, Sub County Chiefs of 5 sub counties, Sub County Community Development Officers, parish chiefs, head teachers, teachers
c)     Religious leaders: Christian and Muslim
d)    Civil Society Organizations: CEW-IT Coordinator, RWECO members, District NGO Forum, CBOs, and other community groups
e)     DGAP PMU: Programme Manager
f)     Ordinary citizens – mainly from the neighbourhood

Highlights of the Citizens’ Report
Members of the CBOs working with RWECO in Kamwenge district compiled a report of what they had observed their leaders deliver or failed to deliver in view of their campaign promises. The report was aligned to the citizens’ manifesto.
Citizen issues as outlined in the CM

1. Wide  spread corruption
2. Wide  spread poverty
3. Declining fortunes of the  Agricultural sector
4. Environmental degradation and climate change challenge
5. Poor infrastructure
6. Growing un employment  opportunities
7. Break down in the health delivery system
8. Poor quality education and mismatch with Uganda’s needs
9. An unsustainable population growth rate in Uganda
10. Very low levels of civic consciousness.

Specific Needs for the people of Kamwenge

• Fight corruption
• Poverty eradication through income generating activities e.g. SACCOs
• Increase agriculture production
• Environment protection
• Health – quality health; adequate staffing in the all health centres – HCII, III, IV; district hospital; eradication of neglected tropical diseases such as elephantiasis
• Quality education – at primary and secondary level
• Partnership and collaboration among politicians
• Relationship between the protected areas and the frontline communities
• Infrastructure development – rural feeder and access roads, tarmacking the Kamwenge – Fort Portal Road
• Rural electrification
• Access to safe and clean water
• Land question – surveying and acquisition of land titles

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS BY THE MONITORS, ISSUES RAISED IN THE PLENARY DISCUSSIONS AND RESPONSES BY THE LEADERS

By James Mwirima, National Coordinator , CEWIT