Kasese Sets Up First Internet Facility

John B. Thawite

15 December 2010
KASESE district is finalising an internet-based, facility, the first of its kind in the Rwenzori region, that will enable the district administration and her stakeholders to electronically share information online.This will enable the district administration to store, retrieve and disseminate various documents among stakeholders in and outside the district, including central government and the donors.
The facility, known as the electronic society (e-society) centre, is housed in the District Information Office. It also comprises an electronic library (e-library) where the district will upload and retrieve its documents including procurement and job application information, development plans, budgets, various reports, minutes of council and departmental proceedings.The facility based and managed by the district, is funded by HIVOS, EU and IICD through the Rwenzori Information Centres Network (RIC-NET) under the RWECO project in the Rwenzori Region.
The e-society and the e-library can be accessed via the district website, http://www.kasese.go.ug, which RIC-NET has also helped reactivate.


"The facility is so far the first of its kind in the Rwenzori region," the RIC-NET programme manager, John Silco Muruga, said at Hotel Margherita in Kasese Municipality on Friday.

Kasese District Local Government Officials Attends Training on District E-Library

The E-Society completed a three days training that was attended by the members from Kasese District Local Government and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Kasese district. The Training registered a daily attendance of 35 people per day.

The main objective of the training was to enhance knowledge on how to use the newly developed Kasese District Electronic library that will boost Information sharing between the Local Government, CSOs and the Citizens in Kasese District and world wide.

The training was facilitated by Software developers from SOLTEC, the Company that was contracted to develop the system and with financial funds from IICD.

The training was regarded successful because all the objectives we accomplished.


Reported by

Bwambale Edwin
ICT Technical Advisor, E-Society Kasese

Training on e-library for kasese District

Some of the heads of departments, Kasese district, attending a training on 1 October on the e-society that is being developed in the district. Photos by John Thawite



Some of the heads of departments, Kasese district, attending a training on 1 October on the e-society that is being developed in the district. Photos by John Thawite





Some of the heads of departments, Kasese district, attending a training on 1 October on the e-society that is being developed in the district. Photos by John Thawite



Some of the heads of departments, Kasese district, attending a training on 1 October on the e-society that is being developed in the district. Photos by John Thawite

E-library trainig at Kasese district Sept 30.

Photo by John Thawite
Technology for its own sake is not useful unless it is used to improve human welfare, a Soltec officer has said.

Erisania Kibaya, the firms executive director said this today while training over 30 participants from Kasese District headquarters and represntatives from civil society orgaidsationss district civil servants about an electronic library (e-library) that is being developed for Kasese District Local Government.

The training, sponsored by the Rwenzori Information Centres Network (RICNET) took place in the District Information Office ICT/e-society resource centre at the Kasese district headquarters.

Farmers earning little from agriculture

By John B. Thawite

THE cultural leader of Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu has called on the Government and development partners to link farmers in the Rwenzori region to markets.

Charles Wesley Mumbere noted that though the farmers were spending a lot of time, finances and other resources in farming, they were earning little from agriculture because of limited market opportunities.

In a speech read by his information minister and spokesperson, Patrick Nyamunungu, Mumbere urged his subjects to revive the culture of constructing granaries to ensure food security in the region.

Nyamunungu delivered the speech at Hotel Margherita on Friday at the closure of a two-day grain business show

Avoid force, Rwenzururu told

By John Nzinjah

THE Rwenzururu kingdom has been cautioned against using force to acquire land for the cultural institution.

“A uniting kingdom of the people around the Rwenzori mountains was not in place until Isaya Mukirania Kyibanzanga I was installed by all the chieftains in the region in 1965.

“Therefore, the kingdom did not have land of its own as an institution,” Omusinga (Rwenzururu king) Charles Wesley Mumbere observed.

He referred to the recent bickering between the Obusinga bwa Rwenzururu administration and an investor over land on Base Camp Hill overlooking Kasese town centre.

Mumbere noted that the institution, which was officially recognised by the Government last year, had 30 acres of land in Kasese town.

He was addressing about 500 guests at his palace in Kasese town at the commemoration of the death of his father, Isaya Mukirania, on Thursday.

Mukirania, who died on September 2, 1966, was the first uniting king of the Bakonzo (Bayira) and Bamba around the Rwenzori Mountains.

Mumbere described his late father as a hero of freedom, unity and peace and called on his subjects to maintain the prevailing peace in the region.

Every September 2, hundreds of Rwenzururu subjects and officials walk over 20 kilometres north of Bwera town to Bulemba hill in Kasese district to pay their respects at Mukirania’s grave.

The Uganda Wildlife Authority has put up a permanent tourist shelter at the place located within Rwenzori National Park.

Come join me on Kasese CSO Portal

Join me on Kasese CSO Portal Kasese CSO Portal Rwenzori Telcentre Support john the e-soceity project in kasese Click to Join About Kasese CSO Portal Kasese Civil Society Voice Blogs Events Discussions Groups Music Photos Videos   To control which emails you receive on Kasese CSO Portal, click here

BUKONZO WEST CROP LOSS TO WILD ANIMALS

Our organisation spent the month of February interviewing farmers in Bukonzo-West constituency in a bid to ascertain the extent to which wild animals have destroyed crops in the Katholhu, Bukangara and Ruhingo areas during the year 2009 alone.

We interviewed 830 farmers and found out that there is a massive crop loss that runs into billions of Uganda shillings.
KEY OBSERVATIONS:
1. Out of the projected 1.8 Billion shillings worth of harvest, these farmers were only able to get 300 million shillings; which is about 17% of the total projected income from crops.
2. This kind of loss, 1.6 Billion shillings in one year that has continued over the years, is the major factor behind perpetual poverty in this area of Bukonzo-west constituency.

RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. There should be established a lasting solution to seal off the national park from the crop growing area either by use of an electric fence or acquisition of an excavator machine to deepen and maintain the trench from Lhubiriha to Nyamughasani river.

2. Government should in future consider compensating farmers for crops lost to wild animals in case strict control measures are not put in place immediately.

Compiled by

KARUGHE FARMERS’ PARTNERSHIP

BESIGYE DECRIES THE KILLING OF INNOCENT CIVILIANS

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) leader Dr. Kiiza Besigye has criticized the Uganda Peoples Defence forces (UPDF) for failing to protect Ugandans and their
properties.

Kiiza Besigye who was
in Kasese district on 19th Feb to 20th in his campaigning
trails visited the family of late Godwin Bwambale in Kituti Village, Karambi
Sub-County in Kasese district who was shot dead by two unknown assailants
wearing the army uniform on 17th February 2010.

The deceased was an
in charge of Bikunya Health Center II in Karambi Sub-County
and left 13 children all in primary school the highest in primary seven.

In a period of one
month two people were shot dead in the same area by unknown gunmen.

In January a
businessman Mr. John Mupasula of Mpondwe –Lhubiriha town Council was gunned
down by an assailant in his shop during day time and nobody was arrested.

While laying a wreath
at the grave of Late Godwin Bwambale who was buried a day after Besigye's
Visit, the FDC leader said the Killing of innocent, committed Ugandans is an
indication of bad leadership.

"We went in the bush
to end this kind of brutality, killing innocent civilians but to my surprise
the same government that went in the bush ha failed to protect its civilians"
he said.

Besigye urged the
family of the deceased to be calm and support FDC which is going to remove the
current corrupt government and promised that once he comes to power he will
ensure the protection of Ugandans and their properties.

"Support FDC if you
need to have peace" he said.

The FDC leader
supported the deceased family with Shs.500.000 and the Bukonzo East MP Yokasi
Bhande Bwambale supported with Shs.100.000 and FDC office in Kasese promised to
meet the tuition fees for one child
until he finishes.

Earlier the FDC
leader visited the family of late Emanuel Kooli the former LC3 Chairperson
Karambi Sub-County in Kasese who died in a fatal accident on their way to
Kyankwanzi leadership institute on 6th January 2008 and died 15th
Jan 2008 in Mulago hospital.

Kooli who was an FDC
supporter his family believed he died due to government negligence.

The Kasese FDC office
promised to pay tuition fees for one of Kooli child until he finishes.

The Bukonzo East MP,
Yokasi Bihande Bwambale said Ugandans mainly staying at the Uganda –
Congo border their lives are at
stake as there is no security protect them and their properties.

Reacting on the
concern the 305 Alpine Brigade Spokesperson, Lt Ninsima Rwemijuma dismissed the
claims saying UPDF has heavily deployed along the borderline and their aim is
to protect Ugandans.

"Were even in touch
with the police to investigate the death of two Ugandans" he said.

Cop on defilement charges.

POLICE in Kasese are holding of their own on charges of alleged defilement charges.

The Kasese district officer in charge of criminal investigations department Abas Seenyonjo confirmed the developments when contacted for comment Jan.27 but declined to divulge the details of the case.

Ssenyonjo declined to reveal the identities of the suspect but our reporter has since established his identities from other sources as Sam Thembo the officer in charge of Kiburara police post in Kisinga sub-county Bukonzo county Kasese district.

According to the source within the police force which never wanted to be named because he is not authorized to talk to the press Thembo was picked from his place of work on Sunday and by press time he was still being held at Kasese police station as investigations continue.

Ssenyonjo said once investigations are complete Thembo’s file will be sent to the resident state attorney who will prefer charges against the accused and sanction if for court proceedings.

The CID boss decried of rampant cases of defilement in the district.

He however noted that some parents of the defiled girls report to police after negotiations with the suspect’s failure to pay the negotiated amount of money.

He said there is need for massive sensitization of the general public on the dangers failure to report defilement cases to relevant authorities.
by Michael Karugaba in Kasese

Museveni meets Omusinga Mumbere in Rwakitura

By Vision Reporter

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni on Monday met a delegation from the Rwenzururu Kingdom led by Omusinga Charles Wesley Mumbere.

During the meeting held at his country home in Rwakitura in Nyabushozi county in Kiruhuura district, Museveni hailed the people of Rwenzururu for resolving their differences that led to the restoration of the kingdom.

A statement issued by State House yesterday said the President also appealed to the group to resolve other issues peacefully to ensure unity in the kingdom.

Present were defence minister Dr. Crispus Kiyonga and the South Rwenzori Diocese bishop, Rev. Jackson Thembo Nzerebende.

“Museveni told Mumbere that neither him nor the National Resistance Movement (NRM) have ever opposed the restoration of the Obusinga bwa Rwenzururu as portrayed by elements that are opposed to the Government,” the statement said.

The President, it added, “clarified that the delay in restoring the Obusinga was caused by disagreements among the different groups in the kingdom, with some of them in support of the institution while others opposed to it.”

Mumbere ascended to the throne on October 19, 1966 when he succeeded his father Isaya Mukirane, who had launched the Rwenzururu armed struggle against the Toro kingdom. He was crowned king on October 29, 2009 in Kasese district at an event that also marked 43 years since he ascended to the throne. Museveni attended the event.

The statement added that President said the Government supports the restoration of any cultural institution as provided for under Article 246 of the Constitution.

He also assured the kingdom of Government support.

On the increase in unemployment among the youth in the area, the President called on the Rwenzururu leaders to advise the youth to undertake marketable courses especially in science and technology.

Mumbere commended Museveni for supporting the Rwenzururu kingdom and for enuring that the prevailing peace and development in the area.

“Mumbere assured the President that the Obusinga bwa Rwenzururu will continue to work with the Government to steer development,” a memorandum by the king read.