Category: Blog

H.E the President of the Republic of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has today commissioned the One Stop Border post and the Border Export zone at Uganda – DRC border in Mpondwe Lhubiriha Town council.

The commissioned facilities will bring together all the different agencies of Government involved in export trade including Security, URA , Ministry of Trade , among others and will facilitate over 25000 traders to conduct inter border trade.

Since 2020, business at the border has been affected by the closure of the border due to COVID-19 outbreak which affected the traders and other members of the community whose livelihoods were dependent on cross border business.

In reference to this, the hosting LCI Chairperson and the LC V Chairperson Hon. Muhindi Erifaz Bukombi requested the President to officially open the border to allow the business community conduct cross border business smoothly.

In addition to the above request, the district Chairperson requested the President to consider the following issues; upgrading of  Rukoki HC IV to a hospital, settlement of internally displaced persons(IDPs) , desilting of the rivers, finding a potential investor for kilembe mines company limited , among others.

While addressing the delegates, the President emphasized the issue of commercial farming to improve household incomes.

He called upon families to embrace utilizing inherited land for income generation and children holding shares instead of dividing land for selfish interests.

As requested by the district leadership, the president officially opened the Mpondwe Lhubiriha border and stopped collection of money from citizens to allow them cross the border.

The president pledged to critically look into the District Chairpersons Memorandum presented to him and respond to all the issues raised accordingly.

The event was attended by delegates from Uganda the DRC including security officials, Political leaders , Local Government officials and business community  stakeholders who appreciated Government for these vast projects that will strengthen inter border trade.

Kabugho Sharon

Communications officer.

Kasese District celebrated Women’s day yesterday the 12th of  April 2022  in Hima Town Council at Hima Catholic playgound in Busongora North constituency. The function was presided over by Hon. Peace Mutunzo the minister of state for Gender, Labor, and Social-Economic Development as the chief guest.

The women MP Kasese Hon Florence Kabugho called upon Kasese leaders to unite towards addressing issues affecting Women. In her words, ” Issues affecting women don’t know your party, they don’t know your religion, they can affect you despite who you are or where you belong “. She added that she did not consider her party to participate in Women’s day celebrations and that is how all leaders should be acting.

The Chief Guest, Hon Minister Peace Mutunzo, called upon Men of Kasese to stop the vice of beating Women .She also condemned early pregnancies and early marriages where Kasese is still among the leading districts and urged parents to take good care of their daughters for a better tomorrow. she recommended division of Kasese District for effective service delivery and also urged Kasese leaders to unite towards the development of Kasese.

As part of celebrating Women, 6 Women and I man were awarded for their struggle of addressing issues affecting women and for being exemplary  to other  women.  Among these were , Mrs Dorothy Nzirambi the Founder Nzirambi Foundation, Mama Agnes Nyabaghole , Hon. Hilda Maate Wabukombi the first female Mayor in Kasese District, the LC III chairperson Mbunga Subcounty , Katugume Fred for advocating for womens rights from Justice Centres Uganda, among others.

The function ended successfully with a lot of entertainment from different schools and Women groups .

As the world celebrates World Day against Child Labor on June 12, 2020 under the theme, “Protect children now, more than ever before”, Kasese district will focus on the impact of the current covid-19 and floods crises on children.

While in the struggle to combat COVID-19, Kasese district experienced concurrent floods on 7^th 10^th and 20^th May 2020 affecting 9,916 households, 48947 people, with about 80% of being children. In addition, the district has frequently faced long droughts which affect the level of production.

Unfortunately, because of the effects of the crisis on livelihoods, children are often the first to suffer. The crisis has the potential danger of pushing more of these already vulnerable children into child labor because most parents have lost their livelihoods and therefore unable to provide for their children, a situation that is likely to lure more children into child labor for survival.

According to the Senior Labour Officer Kasese, Karafule Swaib, “Already there is an estimated 25,000 children in Kasese engaged in child labor.”

These children are now at even greater risks of dropping out of school altogether or spend more time outside school eking a living.

Most children work because of household’s poverty to provide for food, shelter, clothing, school fees and scholastic materials (books and uniform)”

In Kasese child labour is found in agriculture, sand mining, brick making, store quarrying, boda boda, street and market vending, street children, fishing, maids, child marriage, prostitution and car washing.

To combat this vice, Sub-Counties and divisions should target households that supply child labor and link them with social protection services like UWEP, YLP, SAGE and Operation Wealth Creation (OWC).

The parents of children in child labour should take their children to free primary and secondary education (UPE and USE)

Or: Stakeholders at various levels should do more to senstise the families that produce child labour about the benefits of education and to re-orient the mindset about available education programmes like the Universal Primary Education (UPE) and the Universal Secondary Education (USE).

The Civil Society Organisations should initiate programmes like school feeding programmes and re-integration of children affected by child labour into the school system.

However, the ultimate answer to feeding day school children lies in the improving household food security so that families can properly feed their children before and after school and pack lunch for their children.

Kabugho Sharon

Communications Officer