By Samuel Mumbere
E-Society Kasese
Kasese District is one of the few blessed
districts in Uganda that have impressed and promoted technological changes in local
communities Uganda. Despite the use of computers in different organizations and
government entities, ICT paved its way into Kasese District Local Government in
2009 with the establishment of the E-Society Resource Centre at the District
Headquarters in Rukoki. The ICT Centre was made operational in 2010 under the
Public Private Partnership where Organizations of; Rwenzori Information Centres
Network (Ric-Net), Karambi Action for Life Improvement (KALI), Ride-Africa and
Good Hope Foundation all operating in the Rwenzori Sub region under the
Umbrella Organization called Rwenzori Consortium for Civic Competence (RWECO)
came together to support government to promote ICTs in local communities. ICT
activities were then greatly supported and maintained by Ric-Net for 3 years up
to end of 2013.
This effort then continued to attract
more partners to join the struggle where by another organizations called
Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA)
came on board to support the Centre. CIPESA has supported ICT activities in
Kasese District through the E-Society Resource Centre since November 2011 to
date to support programs of ICT for Democracy and better electronic governance
(egovernance)
The main purpose of the Centre
establishment was to facilitate information access, sharing and dissemination
to monitor service delivery for social accountability with a vision of
achieving a poverty free society using ICTs.
For more information, you could logon to http://kasese.go.ug/?page_id=228
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| E-Society in normal operation |
Since then, ICT has tremendously changed the lives of many in Kasese especially the operations in the District headquarters offices. Most of the District staff have been trained and supported in the use of computers and computerized systems for better office operations. This also influenced Kasese District Local Government to recruit an ICT Officer in 2013 who is now be in charge of all ICT activities and infrastructure at Kasese District Local Government.
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At least over 800 youths have trained with computer skills at the Centre with computer skills and offered certificates of attendance from Kasese District Local Government in computer skills. Many of these and earned themselves jobs in various paces in and outside Kasese District. A case in a point is Bwambale Mitusera who has volunteered for E-Society for 2 years, and now is doing contract with UBOs and electro-commission, Biira Robbina who volunteered for one year and is now doing computer business, Okeya Steven and Balicwamu Aaron who have been trainees at E-Society for 1 and a half years
and are now a music and video producers and servicing as ICT volunteers at E-Society Resource Centre and many more youths.
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| The CAO Mr. William Kanyesigye |
Computers in offices have been maintained and many secretaries in offices have supported. There are no more issues of virus attacks, computer break downs as the E-society has fully taken charge of the entire ICT infrastructure.
Great applauds to the Chief Administrative
Officer (CAO) Mr. William Kanyesigye who is ICT complain. He has supported and
spearheaded the promotion of ICTs in the District. He ordered all civil
servants to have emails and make all official communications to be online
through emails and Skype.
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| The Deputy LCV Mr Tade Muhindo |
He spear headed staff trainings in computers
and district online systems. He was the first staff to use a smart phone (android)
and since then, many staff members have acquired smart phones and used them for
Skype, emails and face book.
The CAO scheduled a number of staff ICT
trainings in the years of 2012 and 2013 under Ric-Net support and 3 trainings
in 2012, 2013 and 2014 egovernance trainings under the support of CIPESA. In
2013, he conceived CIPESA to facilitate as special training on District online
services on 2nd October 2014. He mobilized all Heads of departments
and sectors (District Technical Planning Committee) to assemble for the
training. The officers were trained on how to update the district website,
elibrary and participate in the dgroup discussions and face book discussions.
More departmental trainings have been scheduled for January, Feb and March 2015
under the supervision of CAO so as to put all workers on the ICT map.
Since then, all the district online services
have been active and up to date.
These services can be viewed on
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| LCV Chair training |
A fully functional SMS system that is
used to alert the community about the happenings is there though it’s still
used for communicating to the political leaders and civil servants only due to
the costs involved.
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| Defense minister presenting in the conference |
During the previous district budget conference on 12/12/2014 and 13/12/2014, the District Chairperson ordered the ICT Officer to have all presentations projected on the projector in power point. All presenters including the Defense Minister Dr. Chrispus Kiyonga had their presentations projected and all information circulated on the District website, elibrary, District face book page and discussions made in the district online discussion group.
More came be talked about how
much the establishment on the E-Society Resource Centre has contributed to the
promotion of technological changes in Kasese District. Right now, Kasese
community cannot do without ICTs, thanks to the government of Uganda, Civil
society organizations like Ric-Net and CIPESA for these beautiful innovations.
