Members of parliament representing Bukeddi sub-region have urged the government to devise a regional development strategy aimed at tackling high poverty levels in their area. Yusuf Mutembuli, the Member of Parliament for Bunyole East, emphasized the necessity of such a strategy, expressing concerns that their region has been overlooked in various government interventions. He highlighted the need for a mindset change campaign to transition from subsistence to commercial farming in Bukeddi.
Mutembuli stressed the importance of sensitizing the youth in Bukeddi on wealth creation opportunities, urging them to move away from dependency on political handouts. He called for deliberate government efforts to develop the region, considering its unique challenges and historical context, including past conflicts such as those involving Alice Lakwena and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).
Robert Kasolo, Member of Parliament for Iki-Iki Constituency and leader of the Bukeddi Parliamentary forum, expressed gratitude to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for appointing Dr. Kenneth Omona to oversee Northern Uganda Affairs. Kasolo highlighted the forum’s readiness to cooperate with Omona in addressing Bukeddi’s issues and supporting initiatives for transformation.
Dr. Omona, the State Minister for Northern Uganda, is actively engaging with MPs from various sub-regions within Northern Uganda, including Acholi, Lango, West Nile, Bukeddi, and Elgon. He emphasized the importance of bottom-up planning to address the root causes of challenges facing these regions and emphasized the need to enhance household incomes through increased production and productivity.
Omona underscored the importance of providing social services such as schools, health facilities, and roads to facilitate wealth creation and address poverty. He urged leaders to focus on both development and transformation, emphasizing the significance of individual and community-based efforts.
The State Minister emphasized the importance of food security and household incomes in promoting national stability and urged leaders to prioritize these aspects in their planning. He announced plans to hold Barazas at the parish level every three months for accountability and planning purposes.
While Dr. Omona continues engagements with other sub-regions, his efforts have already begun yielding discussions and actions towards economic transformation and poverty alleviation in Bukeddi and other areas within Northern Uganda.
