Day

By Byamukama Libino
In Kabale………
Batwa Development Organization (BDO) has raised strong concerns over the exclusion of the Batwa minority group from government-led developmental programs, prompting calls for immediate action.

Mr. Semajeri Gad, the Executive Director of BDO, has criticized the government for its persistent neglect, citing the Parish Development Model, Emyooga, Operation Wealth Creation, and other employment opportunities as programs that have consistently failed to benefit the Batwa community.

The absence of government interest in addressing this issue has further deepened the sense of betrayal felt by the Batwa.

Speaking passionately to our reporter at the White Horse Inn in Kabale Municipality, Mr. Semajeri highlighted the Batwa’s unwavering loyalty to the government despite being consistently overlooked. He emphasized that the recent Parish Development Model (PDM) campaign disregarded the Batwa entirely, denying them the chance to benefit from this crucial initiative.

In an effort to rectify this dire situation, Mr. Semajeri revealed his plan to write a letter to His Excellency the President of Uganda, urging the creation of a special wealth creation program specifically tailored to uplift the Batwa community.

He emphasized that the ongoing plight faced by the Batwa is largely a result of their lack of representation at both local and parliamentary levels. As indigenous people, the Batwa endure systematic discrimination from the government and various sectors of society, with their rights being neither recognized nor respected.

Currently, the Batwa community owns a meager amount of agricultural land, predominantly situated in hard-to-reach hilly terrain near the forest. Unfortunately, these lands are also the least productive.

Prior to the designation of the Echuya forest as a central government reserve, it had already suffered from extensive encroachment.

Traditional activities such as hunting, honey collection, mushroom picking, water sourcing, bamboo harvesting for basket making, and gathering building materials like poles and firewood were shared between the Batwa and non-Batwa dominant ethnic communities.

Lack of alternative protein sources has forced the Batwa into illegal hunting within the forest. Furthermore, the forest holds significant cultural importance for the Batwa, who engage in religious rituals and sacrifices honoring their gods.

However, when decisions were made to exclude the Batwa from the forest, they were neither involved in the decision-making process nor consulted or compensated for their displacement.

Consequently, a substantial portion of the Batwa population has been rendered landless, thrust into extreme poverty, and reduced to a life of destitution as squatters on lands owned by non-Batwa individuals.

In their desperate quest for survival, many Batwa have resorted to begging, engaging in cheap manual labor, prostitution, and theft.
The current circumstances faced by the Batwa community epitomize their marginalization, internal displacement, and environmental refugeedom.

Urgent attention is required to address their dire plight, which includes immediate recognition of their rights, provision of alternative livelihood opportunities, and the implementation of comprehensive development programs specifically tailored to their unique needs.

It is of utmost importance that the government takes prompt action to ensure that the Batwa, as an integral part of Ugandan society, are granted equal opportunities for progress, development, and representation.

By Aggery Twesigye
In Mbarara

Banyankole kweterana Cooperative Union Limited, a historic cooperative from western Uganda, is struggling to operate due to crippling debts.

Once a leading coffee union in Uganda, Banyankole kweterana has endured decades of steady decline, struggling in vain to regain it’s heyday, Banyankole kweterana consisted of 358 members of primary Cooperatives, but currently has 67 only active Cooperatives.

The sorry state of the union was revealed on Thursday at the Cooperatives 50th Annual General Meeting at the union’s premises in Kakoba division, Mbarara city south.

Abaasa Ainamaani Rubaromba the board chairman of the union shared that the debts which originate from the previous regime have done much in crippling its performance.

As a result, Rubaromba said that the Annual General Meeting of delegates resolved to sale the union’s land which measures 55 acres in Mutonto cell, Rubaya sub county Mbarara district in order to service the chocking debts of the union.

He added the supervisory report which was presented to delegates during the AGM, failed to account for 67 million which got lost in the reign of Julius Tugume the former General manager and Monic Tibihwayo the union’s former cashier.

However, the AGM which sat at the union’s premises in Kakoba, resolved to have former members of the union who embezzled it’s money to refund it.

Winnie Turyamureeba a representative from Ministry of Trade, industry and Cooperatives expressed concern over the unaccounted for shs.67 million which the supervisory committee failed to account for. She further challenged the union to revamp it’s production.

Magret Birungi the union’s General manager revealed that the union has 58 tons of coffee in stores out of the 100 tons of coffee projected to be collected in the previous financial year ,2022/23.

Andrew Zimbe, regional manager Microfinance Support Centre urged the union leadership to avail a repayment plan which will assist it in benefitting from its financial services only if the management can avail commitment to pay the remaining debt owed.

It’s worth noting that despite selling off nearly it’s entire asset-base to offset it’s debts, Banyankole kweterana Cooperative Union remains significantly indebted.

In 2017, Banyankole kweterana borrowed shs.1.5 billion from the microfinance support center to shore up it’s fledgling coffee business.

The money was supposed to be paid back in 2 years, but four years later, the union has only been able to pay back shs.250 million, with an unpaid balance of shs.1.25 billion.

The union also owes audit firm springs and Associates shs.40 million in audit fees. Other creditors are Uganda Central Cooperatives Financial Services (UCCFS) to which the union owes shs.150 million, and the shared interest social lenders to which the union owes shs.400 million.