HOIMA, July 6, 2026 — Paddy Kisembo, the newly elected Kikuube LCV Chairman, has pledged to strengthen cooperative societies in the district and mobilise local farmers to engage in commercial agriculture, which is key in ending household poverty.
Kisembo was elected in the Kikuube by-election on June 18, following the death of the former district Chairperson, Peter Banura, who died in a road accident on April 4, 2026.
Speaking after taking the oath of office on Friday at Kikuube District Headquarters, Kisembo pledged that within his first 100 days in office, he will tour the entire district to map and cluster cooperative farmer groups in order to identify ways of supporting them.
“In the first 100 days, I intend to visit the whole district, mapping and clustering cooperative societies so that I can help them develop proposals and enable them to lobby for support from government and other organisations,” he said.
He added that government is piloting an irrigation project targeting farmer groups in the district and said he would petition the Ministry of Agriculture to increase the number of beneficiaries.
Kisembo also pledged to lobby the district council to allocate sufficient funding to cooperative societies in the district budget.
He expressed optimism that increased funding to active cooperatives would attract more farmers and promote growth.
He said that with proper support, cooperative farmer groups would strengthen members’ financial capacity and contribute to socio-economic transformation.
He noted that most people in Kikuube district depend on farming for their livelihoods and therefore require greater support.
The new Chairperson also pledged to prioritise road rehabilitation to improve farmers’ access to markets for their produce.
He further observed that the district has a limited number of tractors, leaving many farmers still relying on hand hoes.
He promised to lobby government and development partners, including the World Food Programme, to support cooperatives with tractors as part of promoting mechanised agriculture.
“Some farmers have already received tractors from government. I would like to appeal for more support so that those still using hand hoes can increase production per unit area,” he said.
He added: “This includes training in recommended agricultural practices such as proper use of fertilisers, herbicides for pest control, and improved post-harvest handling methods, since in Africa up to 30 per cent of harvests are lost after harvesting.”
Kisembo also pledged to strengthen protection of land rights, noting that Kikuube district faces widespread land conflicts and evictions that undermine sustainable farming of crops such as coffee and bananas.
He said that although government is supporting citizens through programmes such as the Parish Development Model to transition to a money economy, those without secure land tenure cannot fully benefit.
He further promised to advocate for improvements in the health and education sectors, noting that productive farmers depend on good health services and education.
Kisembo also pledged to lobby for better access to both national and international markets for agricultural produce, noting that farmers continue to face challenges in selling crops such as maize, rice, and coffee.
Speaking as Chief Guest, the Minister of State for Bunyoro Affairs, Grace Mary Mugasa, congratulated Kisembo and his council, urging them to set aside differences and focus on serving the electorate.
She noted that several government and oil-related development projects are ongoing in the district and called for mobilisation of communities to benefit from them for socio-economic transformation.
https://thecooperator.news/kikuube-election-of-pdm-sacco-leaders-suspended-over-mistrust/
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