The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Bushenyi, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Bushenyi district council has resolved to petition President Yoweri Museveni and Parliament over what they called the unfulfilled social-economic benefits from the Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development (PIBID) project.
It came after the Ibaare sub-county LCV councilor, Didas Tumwijukye moved the motion to Museveni and parliament over the matter during a special council sitting at the district headquarters on Monday. The Ibaare and Bumabaire sub counties female councilor, Juliet Kyobutungi, and her Bumbaire sub county counterpart David Kakama, seconded the motion.
Tumwijukye says that since April 2010 when Bushenyi District Local Government entered an agreement with PIBID, outlining a number of objectives and responsibilities for both parties, the district has not benefited from the project. He notes that many articles in the Memorandum of Understanding have been breached to the disadvantage of the Bushenyi District Local Government.
Tumwijukye cites the failure to create a market for the bananas in greater Bushenyi. He explains that currently, a bunch of bananas goes for as low as between Shillings 2000 and 5000 as opposed to the expected Shillings 25,000.
The councilors say that the project that has been in existence for the last 12 years in the district was majorly designed to promote value addition on bananas but one can hardly get the value-added on the banana products on the market.
They also argued that the few products branded ‘TOOKE’ are not commensurate with the abundant demand and available market. Abel Gamba, the Kizinda town council LCV counselor, says that the project was tasked with the formation of Banana Cooperative Societies that would give them a voice to negotiate banana prices.
They however note that Nyabubaare Cooperative PIBID that was created only bought bananas from them once and never returned.
They also note that the MOU mandated the Bushenyi District Local Government council to nominate a representative to the Board of PIBID to bridge the gap and foster smooth coordination between the two parties, but to their dismay, this has never been enforced since the inception of the project.
During the signing of the MOU, Bushenyi district offered land at Nyaruzinga measuring 86.45 acres, which they say has yielded nothing of value to the district.
Jafari Basajjabala, Bushenyi LCV chairperson, says that they have tried severally to harmonize with PIBID management on their concerns but the director Prof Rev. Florence Muranga told them that she has no mandate to address their concerns and instead referred them to the patron who is the president.
The councilors appointed a nine-member working committee chaired by Edward Mpabwa to draft their petition within one week and seek an audience with the president to present their grievances.
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