Kiryandongo commissions Shs 2 billion NUSAF 3 projects
KIRYANDONGO – Kiryandongo district authorities have commissioned the Shs 2 billion Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF 3) labour intensive public works projects. Funds for the projects had been blocked on the beneficiaries’ account for the last one year.
The money had been blocked in the financial year 2020/21 by Dorothy Ajwang, the then Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) after she suspected that there could be ghost groups and members.
The money is going to benefit 79 groups which are in eight watersheds in the entire district meant for; Ox traction, soya bean growing, sunflower growing and labour-intensive works like construction of roads.
The groups are supposed to get Shs 2.1 billion where by every group will be getting Shs 17 million.
This prompted Ajwang to write to the Inspectorate of Government (IG) to come on ground to do thorough verification.
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However, the IG gave them a go ahead after they realized that all the groups and the members were genuine.
The members had also complained over the delayed disbursement of funds saying that everything had been done well but they never knew the motive of the CAO.
The groups had been formed in the financial year 2017/18 expecting immediate funding.
On Thursday, the group members were excited to see the long-awaited funds being commissioned.
The projects commissioned include; community access roads, market stalls, institutional greening and community fish ponds.
The labour-intensive public work projects are expected to improve on the welfare and livelihood of the people as well as easing access to social services such as markets, schools and health facilities.
“We are happy that we are going to receive the long-awaited funds. We formed these groups in 2017 expecting to get the money immediately but in vain. We thank God for this opportunity,” the members explained.
While addressing the beneficiaries at Gwara Primary School-Karuma on Thursday, Edith Aliguma, the district Chairperson thanked the community for participating in the labour intensive public works and informed them that the delay in implementation of the projects was caused by the need to verify whether the members of the groups formed were genuine or not.
“We also wanted to ascertain whether the groups which were formed two years before the disbursement of funds were still together or maintained the same project interest,” explained Aliguma.
Aliguma also commended the Inspectorate of Government for working closely with the district to ensure effective implementation of NUSAF 3 projects.
She also assured the community of the district’s commitment to offer services despite the end of NUSAF 3 projects.
During the same occasion, James Penywi, the Director Monitoring and Evaluation at the Inspectorate of Government called upon the community to always raise complaints on service delivery through their local leaders before they think of the IG.
“Always use your leaders to raise complaints, only come to the IG if your leaders don’t respond. Make engagements and work with the technical people to ensure good working relations,” Penywi urged the beneficiaries.
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