MPs question UGX 744m budget for model village

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Members of Parliament have asked the committee on the presidential affairs to explain why establishing one model village per region which will cost shillings 744 million.

The MPs were reacting to the presentation of the committee chairperson, Jessica Ababiku who urged the budget committee to consider allocating funds to roll out model villages nationally.

Ababiku said that rolling out the programme in 26 model villages would cost a total of shillings 20 billion.

She explained that since only shillings 1 billion has been proposed to maintain the existing model villages in the draft budget for 2020/2021 financial year, it will be difficult to set up new model villages.

The model village programme is part of the Presidential Initiative to alleviate poverty in Uganda that was launched in 2003. The initiative is expected to demonstrate how systematically a high concentration of projects in a model parish can tackle poverty and speed up rural transformation alongside other poverty eradication efforts.

Overseen by the Department Alleviation Department at State House, there are currently 21 model villages in central, Eastern and Western Uganda, it is estimated that a total of 16,918 households are engaged and benefiting from the programme.

The beneficiaries receive inputs from government including coffee, bananas, pigs, and fish among others.

Ababiku says that State House plans to set up at least 10 model villages in Northern, Eastern and Western Uganda. Some of these include Balarege Model parish in Otuke district, Mucwini Model Parish in Kitgum, Kataka model parish in Kibuku and Mungula model parish in Adjumani.

Other model villages also yet to established are in Karamoja, Bukedea, Kamuli, Kabarole  Madi-Okollo and Amuria.

According to Ababiku, the funds will be used to carry out baseline surveys, setting up of coordination offices, and training for field officers and identified beneficiaries. Each field officer will also receive a motorcycle and earn a monthly salary of shillings 400,000.

Dokolo Woman MP, Cecilia Ogwal said that the programme should be scrapped because of its selective implementation since 2004.

Butambala County MP, Muwanga Kivumbi and West Budama North MP, Richard Okoth Othieno said that the budget committee should not even approve the request of additional shillings 6 billion to maintain the existing model villages.

Koboko North MP, Elly Asiku questioned the prices of the items in the proposed roll-out of model villages.

Othieno, who chaired the committee meeting, noted that Ababiku should be given more time to look into the budget for the rollout and the report back to the committee.

However, Bukooli Central MP, Solomon Silwanyi asked the MPs to study the proposal to roll out the programme but approve the request for existing ones.

Ababiku pledged to submit a report with more details on the proposed roll-out of the model villages.

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