Day

By Innocent Atuganyira

www.mknewslink.co

In Masindi—

Sugarcane farmers in Masindi district registered with Kinyara Sugar Limited are crippling with accumulated loans due to the delayed cane harvesting.

This was revealed on Friday during an emergency annual general meeting in Kabango town council Masindi district.

The same meeting was also attended by the general manager, and agriculture manager Kinyara Sugar Limited, Member of Parliament for Bujenje constituency and others.

Eriab Byenkya a resident of Kyakabazinde Southern ward in Kabango town council explained that he got a loan from Centenary Bank to acquire another field of sugarcane.

Byenkya who was hoping to recover the loan after harvesting the sugarcane noted that he approached the management of Kinyara Sugar Factory over his canes harvest but wasn’t helped.

The aggrieved cane farmer revealed the Shs5M loan acquired from Centenary has accumulated to Shs15M, and the bank is going to selloff his house and land which will leave him homeless and helpless.

Topista Nagozibwa, sugarcane farmer in Kyarutanga said her sugarcane has spent three years in the field, she has approached the management of Kinyara Sugar Ltd several times to ensure her cane is harvested but in vain.

She however said recently cane cutters went to her cane field but they refused to harvest the canes citing that they are aged cane, and many thus abandoning them.

The aggrieved farmer said she is losing her properties to money lenders due to delayed cane harvesting, she is asking for government intervention since they are counting losses due to the vice.

David Kugonza who is also sugarcane farmer blamed the out grower, and agric manager for Kinyara Sugar Ltd since they don’t follow-up on why aged canes are not harvested.

Kanaginagi Ateenyi Rutindo also a farmer said that recently he got a call from Kiryandongo Sugar asking for sugarcanes since they don’t have enough to feed their miller, the farmer is wondering why Kinyara Sugar Ltd is not letting the excess canes to be taken to Kiryandongo Sugar Miller to reduce the aged cane in the district.

Richard Atugonza insisted that they should have their own miller, since they have issues as why they want it. He notes the only way to have justice for their products is through owning their own miller.

Hon. Kenneth Kiiza Nyendwoha the Member of Parliament for Bujenje Constituency tasked Kinyara Sugar Ltd to produce the agreement over cane age saying that it should be reduced.

The politician said farmers are complaining over Kinyara harvesting their own canes abandoning the farmers’.

Nyendwoha asked Kinyara Sugar Ltd to consider the issue of burnt and aged canes since farmers are incurring losses, noting they will end up losing lives of people due to delayed cane harvesting and fire.

Responding to the above issues, Masilamani Mathiuanan the Agric Manager Kinyara Sugar Ltd said that they were harvesting canes at 14 months in October 2019, fire affected them, and in 2020, the outbreak of corona virus which paralyzed the movement of workers hit them hard since some workers were camped in designated areas, vehicles wouldn’t move beyond 6pm thus affecting transportation of canes to the factory.

He added that following the heavy downpour last year, most of the sugarcane fields were flooded affecting the harvesting, and transportation of canes to the factory thus age canes.

Mathiuanan told farmers that this also led to reduction of sugar production noting that they would produce 1,000 tons of sugar per day which is half of sugar they used to produce daily.

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By Ambrose Kweronda

www.mknewslink.com

In Rubanda—

Police in Rubanda District are hunting for a woman who allegedly killed her 25 year old son who had been released from Rubanda government prison.

The deceased has been identified as Tobias Mugarura, resident of Kashaki cell Ihanga Parish, Bubaale Sub County in Rubanda District

It is alleged that the deceased has been a convict serving a sentence at Rubanda Prisons on charges of threatening violence against his mother Frediana Nyabuhara and the his brother only identified as Godfrey.

On Thursday this week, he finished the sentence of six months imprisonment and he was released to go home.

When he reached home at Kashaki cell Ihanga Parish Bubale Sub County in Rubanda District, It did not please the mother and brother and in the night, he was allegedly cut to death and the body dragged to the road side on Kabale – Kisoro road.

The mother and brother who are the prime suspects are now on the run.

“Some witnesses’ statements have been recorded. No arrest has been made yet,” Elly Maate the Kigezi regional police spokesperson told our reporter about the matter.

This case has been registered at Rubanda police under file number CRB 448/2021.

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Email: wmuhwezi75@gmail.com
Tel: +256702680106

By Aggrey Twesigye

www.mknewslink.com

In Mbarara—

Mbarara district local government has awarded 17 contracts worth over shs 1.1 billion for construction of infrastructure in schools and health facilities.

The signing of the agreements was presided over by the Mbarara district chairperson Tabaro Didas Tumwesigye at district council hall Kamukuzi and witnessed by the Chief Administrative Officer Mbarara
Edward Kasagara, acting district engineer William Bananuka

Addressing the contractors, Mbarara district chairperson Tabaro urged the contractors to ensure that what was put in the specifications of the contract is followed and no shoddy work is done.

He clarified that if shoddy work is done, the supervising engineer and contractor will be arrested and prosecuted before courts of law for breaching the contract.

Tabaro urged the contractors to involve local council leaders in identification of available labour from local community as well as cooperating with them in monitoring exercise.

He warned that contractors should exhibit transparency to the leaders by disclosing details of the projects since they have responsibility to make reports as the owners.

The Chief Administrative Officer Mbarara district Edward Kasagara directed the contractors to provide visitor’s book at every site all the time to enable every visitor write and make documented comments.

The acting district engineer Mbarara Eng. William Bananuka urged the contractors to follow stage approval system starting from the foundation, permit early examination of building materials and get testing certificate to avoid producing shoddy work.

He said approval of performance of work done in the project shall be endorsed by both the district engineer and political monitors to own the success or failure of the project to ensure value for money.

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Email: wmuhwezi75@gmail.com
Tel: +256702680106

By Innocent Atuganyira

www.mknewslink.com

In Masindi

Fiona Sanyu the Masindi Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) has warned contractors against shoddy work.

The warning was sounded yesterday evening at the district chambers while awarding different District projects to the contractors.

Sanyu noted that the process of signing the contracts delayed since President Museveni had before directed all construction projects for ministry of health and education be awarded to the Uganda People’s Defence Forces {UPDF}.

The CAO however said that due to the overwhelming projects across the country, the president later said that the contracts could be awarded to the people.

Sanyu warned the contractors against shoddy work saying that if they had awarded the contracts to the UPDF, local people would have missed the opportunity.

She asked contractors to withdraw their application if they are not sure of delivering quality work, asking them to reform since they are delivering service to their own people.

Sanyu also asked the contractors to consider completing their respective projects in six months noting that if they cannot, they should inform her in writing one month before the expiry of the contract.

In the same meeting, Cosmas Byaruhanga the Masindi district chairperson noted that since most of the contractors are born within the area, he expects them to deliver quality services.

Byaruhanga also asked the contractors to consider delivery of quality work noting that it saves government money thus development of the country.

He also asked the district technical team to work in hand with the contractors and warned the contractors from using poor quality materials adding the work they do doesn’t last due to the materials.

Rose Kirabira Kobusinge the Resident District Commissioner {RDC} Masindi also warned the contractors against shoddy work noting that recently some civil servants were to be arrested due to the shoddy work done by the contractors.

Angry Kirabira vowed to arrest and block the money for contractors if they do shoddy work.

17 companies were yesterday awarded different projects for the district including construction of pit latrines at different government schools and hospitals, distribution of water tanks, motorcycles and many others.

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Tel: +256702680106

By Aggrey Twesigye

www.mknewslink.com

In Mbarara—

Mbarara District Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has resolved to close Kakyeka Stadium after Mbarara City football team failed to settle a rent debt mounting to 6 million UGX.

According to Herbert Kamugisha the Chairman Mbarara District Public Accounts Committee, they have instructed the Chief Finance Officer Murangira Julius to lock the stadium until the debt is settled.

He further instructed the Chief Administrative Officer Mbarara District to execute a new board that will be taking care of the stadium.

He stated that the tenure of the current board expired a long time

Kamugisha called for the fencing of the stadium and also establish the boundaries of the stadium.

www.mknewslink.com a greater western Uganda news website
Email: wmuhwezi75@gmail.com
Tel: +256702680106

By Innocent Atuganyira

www.mknewslink.com

In Masindi—

Ms Rose Kirabira Kobusinge the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), and Ms Fiona Sanyu the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Masindi district on Monday evening drilled Patrick Baguma the Acting District Health Officer {ADHO} Masindi over poor service delivery.

The complaints arose in the meeting involving the in-charges of different health centre II’s and III’s held at Country Inn Hotel.

This followed the ministry of health assessment at Masindi district local government where they discovered a number of issues which were unclear.

Ms Rose Kirabira Kobusinge told the members that she had got a number of reports in her officer pinning the DHO, and they include, poor accountability, lack of transparency, doesn’t coordinate with fellow health workers, and he also works in isolation.

Kirabira also said the reports pin Baguma for failing to make daily, weekly, or monthly reports for different health departments, doesnot transfer worker who spend more than ten years in one place, and he has also failed to make accountability for covid19 funds since March this year.

On the same note, the resident district commissioner said they the ministry of health has directed CAO to plan recruiting a qualified DHO who they can work with.

Ms Fiona Sanyu said that she has never received any report from the office of the district health officer, therefore she demanded for it by end of this week.

Sanyu noted she would task the Baguma whereas he tasks the head of departments in the health sector to produce accountability.

The supervisor of the civil servants told Baguma to make accountability for covid19 funds before 25^th of this month.

On the issue of recruiting qualified district health officer, Sanyu said that she was directed by Dr. Diana Atwiine the permanent secretary at the ministry of health to recruit the DHO they can work with, noting the current acting DHO does not qualify to be in the office.

She therefore said they are planning to recruit three heads of departments including the commercial officer, production officer, and the district health officer, noting that the issue will be sorted out.

Patrick Baguma an environmentalist said that he didn’t force himself to be in the current office rather was appointed by the Chief Executive as the care taker.

The aggrieved Baguma noted that he is ready to leave the office if served with a letter of resignation.

In response to the above allegations, Baguma said that he accounts for the money spent in his office, and that they shouldn’t put all the blames on him yet other departments have failed to account for the money saying other departments just report to him but he is not accountable for their expenditures.

The health expert also asked those reporting him to the office of CAO and DHO to be transparent, saying that according to files in his office, his supervisors commends him for service delivery.

The aggrieved Baguma also noted that since this financial year began, he has met a lot of challenges compared to other years.

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