Report: Security, water most discussed topics at community meetings

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Ugandans who attend village meetings widely discuss security matters, according to a report by Twaweza, an East African-wide organization that tracks citizens’ opinions and experiences on different issues.

The report based on 2,741 respondents reveals that among those who report attending village meetings, four out of ten (42 percent) say the topics discussed included security matters, followed by water (22 percent) and sanitation (22 percent).

Meanwhile, the data shows that across Uganda, three out of four citizens (73 percent) report having attended at least one village meeting in the previous year.

The exception is in Greater Kampala, where fewer than half of residents reported attending a village meeting.

According to the report, 44 percent of the respondents reported that women attend village meetings, 36 percent said men, while 31 percent said everybody does.

“Most of those who attended community meetings said the meetings did not include providing feedback to citizens on government plans or performance. Where there was feedback provided, this was largely provided by the LC I chairperson,” reads the report.

Marie Nanyanzi, the Senior Program Officer at Twaweza says that data indicating security as the most discussed topic in village meetings means that the issue is a matter of concern for all parties and that there is responsiveness from village heads regarding matters of security.

“Other matters like access to water and sanitation of the community follow and this is because they are public health issues and they point to challenges in terms of access to clean water, and sanitation facilities,” she added.

Ssekabaka Village, Yvonne Ayesigye, all residents of Mengo said that it is understandable for security to dominate discussions in village meetings because safety is important to the people.

“Sanitation is also of concern. Where I stay in Mengo, there is a particular community road that has had a permanent leaking sewer. This is closely linked to having access to clean water and shows how dire the situation is and the reason why these issues dominate discussions in village meetings,” said Ayesigye.

A resident of Bwefulumya West, in Namawojjolo who preferred anonymity said security usually dominates discussions in village meetings due to petty theft, thuggery, and other violent acts.

He added that the local security teams are usually overwhelmed, not well-motivated, and end up colluding with the thieves in villages.

Another resident of Kireka–Kamuli Village, also noted that the security topic usually dominates village meetings because insecurity is a result of the scarcity of all other social services.

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