Local government chairpersons in the Rwenzori region have appealed to the government to consider decentralising the procurement of projects under Local Economic Growth Support (LEGS) to enable effective implementation.
This was during a meeting with the Minister for Local Government Raphael Magyezi, in Kicwamba Sub County, Kabarole district, on August 16, 2023. The Minister had a function to launch the construction of Kihondo Market.
The chairpersons noted that the current system of centralised procurement of projects has caused long delays and has led to poor management of resources. They argued that decentralising the procurement process would make it easier for local government units to access funds and resources efficiently and allow local authorities to complete projects in a timely manner.
Minister Magyezi, accompanied by representatives of the Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLF) and the Islamic Development Bank, commissioned projects in the districts of Kabarole and Ntoroko.
According to the district chairpersons, there has been a delay in implementing projects because procurement is done at the national level.
Richard Rwabuhinga, the LCV chairperson for Kabarole District, said that some projects have not been worked on for a long time.
He requested the government to decentralise the procurement of activities since it’s under a decentralised system in Uganda.
“If they can decentralise the procurement of these projects, we can own the management of the procurement such that if a contractor does not deliver, we handle him,” William Kasoro, the LCV Chairperson, Ntoroko District, said.
Magyezi appealed to residents to increase the production of coffee. He thanked the women for the growth of the cooperative societies, citing one that started with 51 members but has 150 members as of now.
According to Eng. Paul Kasuke Mukasa, the National Coordinator of the LEGs project, each district is getting about ten billion UGX.
“This money is going to support water for production, water for domestic use, constructing community access roads, and constructing factories,” Mukasa added.
The budget for the LEGS project is 43 million dollars from the Lives and Livelihoods Fund and the Islamic Development Bank.
