By Our Reporters
Tired of seeing their district leaders operating in less than desirable structures, Kiruhura district residents have fundraised billions as contribution towards the construction of a more befitting district headquarters. Costing a total of Shs6bn, a huge chunk of which is from Tofaali-like contributions from the area residents, the district administration block’s actual construction works will commence early June 2018. The block that a local area journalist casually described as “more glamorous than State House and Parliament combined,” will have offices housing both the political and technocratic leaders working for the district local government.
District speaker Dan Mukago tells this news website that the the administration block construction is part of the district broader strategic development plan (SDP) which the district council unanimously passed recently. The councilors represent electoral constituencies of Kazo, Nyabushozi and Kashongi.
The Speaker, who represents Kikatsi Sub County in Nyabushozi, explains that whereas the larger obligation lies with the district, they have received hefty offers from large-hearted Kiruhura district residents, stakeholders and well-wishers. All these contributions are specifically directed towards the construction of an ultramodern office complex that will be a source of pride to all sons & daughters of Kiruhura which is also home to the President’s Rwakitura Country Home. “As a district from which the President hails we want to set standards and have something that other district local governments will emulate,” said a councillor who didn’t want to be named. The new gigantic structure, whose construction will be completed by 2021, will be located at the location currently housing the District Service Commission (DSC) offices. This is directly opposite the current district administration block.
The Speaker Dan Mukago says the three storied new block will have district stores, offices for technical and political leaders besides a huge council hall with a big gallery area where local residents will always sit to witness their councillors deliberate during district council meetings. Kiruhura is one of the fairly new Ugandan districts having been curved from the former greater Mbarara district.
Mukago says that chairing council meetings has been hard for him because the room where they are currently held is too small for anybody’s comfort. The old building currently serving as the administration block will be razed to the ground and a new modern hospital is built in its place, says Speaker Dan Mukago. However, influential area journalist Faluk Twesigye, who also operates under Fatwes Solutions, observes that whereas the administration block is a welcome development, there are other grievances the Kiruhura district residents consider to be more pressing and require urgent attention than constructing the luxury opulent district headquarters. These include the rampaging wild animals that keep straying into the community-habited areas and thereby killing people and livestock besides destroying their crops and other farming activities.
They also want to see the district local government taking more comprehensive interventions to improve the state of schools and generally the delivery of educational services in the district. “We shall be more proud to see our district shine and dominate more in the national UNEB exams because that’s is how we ensure future transformation.
We also want to see something done about bore holes for increased access to safe drinking water. Something must also be done on the inefficient LC3 chairpersons like the one Kinoni. Some areas have famine and the district must intervene. And in Kashongi roads are bad and almost impassable. They need urgent attention from our district leaders and its more urgent than the district headquarters,” said one of the elders speaking on condition of anonymity. For comments, call/text/Whatsapp us on 0703164755!
