Kikuube district leaders blame poor service delivery on budget cuts
KIKUUBE – Kikkube district local government expects to face hurdles in delivering services in the financial year 2023/24, blaming it on recent budget cuts.
According to the financial year 2023-2024 indicative figures, which were presented to stakeholders during recent a budget conference in Hoima town, the district expects to run on a Shs 26 billion budget, down from Shs 39.6bln in the current financial year.
Faustin Twesigye, the Kikuube district planner, said that the district has been experiencing budget cuts due to the effects of Covid-19 pandemic.
However, Twesigye said the situation has been made worse with the phasing out of the Development Response to Displacement Impact Project [DRDIP] and the Agriculture Cluster Development Project [ACDP] that have been injecting billions of shillings into the district.
He said that the administration, health, education and works sectors are the most affected because they have been receiving support from the two projects that are phasing out.
According to him, in the FY2022/23, the administration took the lion’s share of over Shs 15.4bln. In the FY2023/2024 the sector is expected to receive Shs 2bln while the health sector which took Shs 5.8bln in the current financial year expects to receive Shs 800 million in the next financial year.
Peter Banura, the Kikuube district chairman said that the continued budget cuts are a big challenge to service delivery.
He noted the district is currently facing a financial crisis due to the recent budget cuts, adding that the works department is one of the most affected departments.
He noted district budget in FY 2022/23 was cut by 50 percent, leaving several roads in the district in a sorry state due to a lack of funds to rehabilitate them or open new roads.
While presenting a report, Nelson Naisye, the Kikuube district health officer, during a budget conference 2024, said low staffing levels, inadequate primary healthcare centre wage allocation, and lack of water supply in health centres were some of the challenges affecting service delivery in the district.
Naisye said that the health department is also lacking resources to cater for fuel for ambulance services and storage facilities for health centres
He noted that the health department expected to expand the maternity ward at Bugambe and Kasenta health center IIIs at Shs 450mln though they were not considered priorities in the FY2023/2024.
He added that they also hoped to construct stores at Kyhoro, Mukabara, and Nsozo Health Centre III at a cost of Shs 150mln but they have no funding.
He added that the department plans to construct out-patient department [OPD] shade at Kikuube health center IV at a cost of Shs 150mln, install a water supply facility at kitoole, Kaseeta, and Kisiiha Health Centre IIIs at a cost of Shs 80mln.
He said there is a need to have another water supply system at Buhuka Health Centre III at Shs a cost of 80mln but noted the planned facilities are not considered in the budgeting due to budget cuts.
Naisye added that the district has been planning to upgrade Kisiiha, Kitoole, Bambabya, Kasonga, and Kichompyo health center IIs to health center IIIs at a cost of Shs 820mln, even though he said the money is not available.
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