Kassanda County North

420 PRIME MINISTER’S TIME 1. The Government supports farmers with rosette-tolerant groundnut seed varieties and planting materials for short-term food security crops in the next planting season; and 2. Agricultural extension services be strengthened to educate farmers on the best farming practices, especially the management and control of groundnut rosette. Mr Speaker, my response is that I have taken note of the Member’s prayer for the Government to support farmers with rosette- tolerant groundnut seed varieties and planting materials for short-term food security crops in the next planting season. I will inform the President accordingly, and the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries is hereby put on alert. However, in the meantime, those who can afford it can go and buy Serenut 2-14, which is a rosette- tolerant variety from open markets. Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries extension technical teams are already engaging Ngora District, and every district has agricultural officers. The recommended practices are: use of certified seeds; early planting; proper spacing; inter-crop with beans or sorghum; uproot and bury infected plants; apply Cypermethrin 5-percent-EC or neem; extract if the infestation is high; and report symptoms to the subcounty extension workers. The fourth question came from Hon. Peter Okeyoh, the Member of Parliament for Bukooli Island County. According to our brother, His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Uganda did write a letter to the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, directing that power be extended to Sigulu Island, Namayingo and Buvuma Island. His question is: what is the status of the project? My response is that the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development has commenced the public investment management system process. The project is currently at the project profile stage, awaiting consideration by the development committee. Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development is implementing a mini-grid project on Buvuma Island with support from the European Union, under the GET Access project. The contractor has been procured, while the submarine cable is being processed. I got a fifth question from Hon. Okeyoh, again. He stated that this Parliament amended the Mining and Minerals Act, 2022, to provide for artisanal miners. He asked: “Why are our people, in Namayingo, Kassanda and Buhweju districts, being harassed by armed men?” Mr Speaker, my response is that the Mining and Minerals Policy, 2018, the Mining and Minerals Act, 2022 and the Mining and Minerals (Artisanal Mining) Regulations, 2025, provide a legal and regulatory regime for the development of artisanal miners in Uganda. Mining is only permitted within gazetted artisanal mining zones. To enforce this, the Police Minerals Protection Unit is halting illegal mining activities outside gazetted mining zones. This is aimed at curbing environmental degradation, the spread of epidemics, occupational health and safety hazards, and the use of hazardous chemicals such as mercury. The ministry is currently organising and registering artisanal miners into associations and cooperatives, as a requirement before licensing them to operate within gazetted mining areas. The progress, so far, is that 20 artisanal and small-scale mining licences have been issued to miners in Namayingo, Kassanda and Buhweju districts. In addition, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development is engaging gold rush miners across the country. Mining in

Thank you, Mr Speaker, I rise to express my sincere gratitude to His Excellency the President for his clear, comprehensive and inspiring State-of-the- Nation Address to this Parliament. Mr Speaker, the address provided clear policy direction on this country’s socio-economic transformation, security, infrastructure, industrialisation and wealth creation, especially the Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga and other government interventions. Mr Speaker, as we appreciate the progress highlighted by the President, I respectfully wish to draw the attention of the Government to a few priority areas affecting the people of Kassanda South. First, I appeal for increased rural electrification. Many communities in Kassanda are in total darkness and we know that power is very important and essential for value addition, small-scale industries, education and improved livelihoods. Secondly, I request the Government to expand access to safe and clean water. Despite progress registered nationally, several villages in my constituency do not have water. Women and children move long distances to search for water, especially in Manyogaseka and other areas.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have taken note of the concerns raised by my colleagues, the Hon. Gonzaga Ssewungu and the Hon. Patrick Oshabe Nsamba. Mr Speaker, I have just laid the papers here, and you have referred them to the responsible committee. Procedurally, I expect to be invited to the committee to present details of the justification, the numbers, and all the concerns the members have, together with other concerns which will arise from our engagements with the committee. I undertake to present all the information required to the committee and expect the committee to make its observations; I will further justify to allay the concerns of the Members so that we move in harmony. However, most importantly, we want to achieve transparency in the way we do things. In order to achieve this, if the House can accord me a slot, I can come here to specifically respond to the issue of how our taxpayers can access the waivers because it is a concern that keeps coming up. I would like a businessman from Kassanda, who does not know any of us, to come to our systems and access a waiver like any other person who is known to us and able to recommend waivers. I undertake that the House bears with me. When we come back to discuss, I will give full details and also respond to questions which Members have raised, and others that you have not raised but, out of my experience, I feel are of concern to this House and the public. Thank you.

Thank you. Hon. Achia, the Member for Bugweri, and then the Member for Kassanda.

Thank you. Member for Kassanda and then Member for Kumi.

Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity. I am happy that my friend, the Prime Minister is around together with the ministers. Right Honourable Prime Minister, I know the people of Kassanda District are watching right now because their road has become a problem. When I talked to the Minister of Works and Transport, he told me that we still have three years to construct Myanzi-Gambwa-Kassanda- Bukuya-Kiboga Road. Rt Hon. Prime Minister, when will the road be constructed? Another issue is that we have a problem – (Member timed out.)

Mr Speaker, the road she talked about is our national priority. It is in our Fourth National Development Plan (NDPIV) and a priority road in our manifesto. It starts from Myanzi-Kassanda-Bukuya up to Kiboga. The Minister of Works and Transport has been maintaining this road in a motorable state. However, those people want to see a tarmac road. Therefore, if we get money - he is here - that road is a priority. The President promised the people of Kassanda District. Please, look for money. (Laughter)

142 THE BUDGET SPEECH, 2026 Ugandan products, attract strategic investors and mobilise the diaspora to support national development. 6. On tourism infrastructure, the Government continued to invest in tourism infrastructure and attractions. Progress was made in the development of museums and cultural heritage sites in Moroto and Dokolo. Investments are also underway in the Rwenzori Central Circuit Trail, Kitagata Hot Springs and visitor facilities at the Source of the Nile in Jinja, including an observatory deck and a modern restaurant. The Government also established a new wildlife education centre in Mbale. These investments are enhancing visitor experiences and strengthening Uganda’s competitiveness as a tourism destination. In Financial Year 2026/2027, the priorities under tourism are the following: Mr Speaker, the Government has allocated Shs 567.32 billion to continue developing the tourism sector next financial year. The priority interventions will include: i) The branding and marketing of Uganda as a tourism and investment destination; ii) Tourism infrastructure development; iii) Construction of highway sanitation facilities and tourism site refreshment centres; iv) Improving and enforcing hospitality standards and training; v) Conservation and wildlife protection to increase wildlife population across the national parks; vi) Health tourism; and vii) Economic and commercial diplomacy. I now come to mineral-based industrial development. Mr Speaker, Uganda is richly endowed with minerals. However, sustainable transformation will come not from extracting minerals, but from processing and adding value to them. The Government’s strategy is, therefore, to transform mineral wealth into industrial wealth, and the following steps have been taken in that direction: i) The Government intensified mineral exploration and quantification. Geochemical surveys for gold were undertaken in Kassanda, Kiboga and Mubende districts. Exploration confirmed an estimated 300 million tonnes of iron ore in Kabale, Rubanda, Rukiga, Kisoro, Kanungu, Kiruhura and Hoima districts. Surveys of copper prospects were conducted at the Bukusu Carbonatite Complex, which also has the potential for rare earth elements as well as at the Boma and Lwensankala sites. Evaluation of uranium, manganese, lithium and nickel deposits is also ongoing across the country. ii) To add value to Uganda’s limestone, a new clinker factory was commissioned in Moroto District to produce inputs for cement production. The factory operates a 6,000-tonne-per-day clinker production line with annual production capacity of two million tonnes of clinker and three million tonnes of cement. The project is expected to save the country up to $260 million, annually, in clinker imports and create up to 4,000 jobs. iii) The Government continued to make substantial progress towards the first oil. Construction of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) and the Central Processing Facilities is at advanced stage and nearing completion. The Tilenga and Kingfisher upstream development projects also registered significant progress despite logistical challenges arising from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. During the year, 51 additional wells were drilled, bringing the cumulative number to 199 wells, exceeding the 189 wells required for first oil production later this year. iv) The Government completed the first phase of Kabalega International Airport, providing critical logistics infrastructure to support oil and gas development, tourism, trade and investment in the Albertine region.

94 ADDRESS ON THE STATE OF THE NATION, 2026 In other words, our economy has expanded more than 17 times in the last 40 years of recovery, expansion, diversification, value addition, entry into the knowledge economy, and transformation. This year, the economy is projected to grow at 6.4 per cent. Next year, the GDP will grow by 10 per cent, pushing the size of the economy to $80 billion. All this is before the start of the flow of our commercial oil. In the last 15 years alone, the country has added 31 new products to the export basket. Uganda now exports manufactured goods including: pharmaceuticals, refined gold, steel, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) products, ceramics, plastics, and the dairy products already talked about. Uganda’s exports have reached $18 billion in the 12 months ending in March 2026. Sixty-seven per cent of the people who have listened to our messages and friends from outside who have invested here have turned our economy into a country of surpluses; milk, 5.4 billion litres from 200 million litres in 1986; fish, 727,000; coffee, 9.3 million sixty- kilogramme bags from two million bags in 1986; 76,000 metric tonnes of cocoa; cement, from about 5,000 tonnes to seven million metric tonnes of cement; maize, from 200,000 to five million metric tonnes; bananas, from 6.6 million to 11 million metric tonnes; cassava, from 3.5 million to 4.5 million metric tonnes and; sugar from 150,000 to 700,000 metric tonnes. We are now set for further and faster growth, and transformation. With electricity, we have moved from 60 megawatts, in 1986 to now 2,098 megawatts. We are, however, aiming at 50,000 megawatts from hydro, solar, gas, wind, nuclear, and geothermal energy. Therefore, all the leaders must ensure that those programmes are downloaded in their respective areas. In the next five years, all the households with land must get the low-interest capital in the form of Parish Development Model (PDM). You, the leaders must ensure this. You must go up to the parish level. You may not visit every parish, but you can call the parish chiefs at the constituency level and make sure they do their work. If they do not do their work, we shall sack all of them. There is already Shs 557 million in the parish. I was saying Shs 800 million in the other address but when the PDM started, initially they sent less than Shs 100 million per year. They are now saying that the money, which is in the parish, including the one of payback, is Shs 557 million in the parish, and it has reached 3.7 million households. We are going to put Shs 100 million plus Shs 15 million for the leaders per annum per parish in the rural areas, and Shs 300 million plus Shs 15 million for the leaders per ward in the towns. Shs 760 billion has gone to the Emyooga operating from the constituency level. Where is that money? How many and which Emyooga associations have benefited from this money? There is one of the young person who was involved with the Emyooga money. Fortunately, he was elected as Member of Parliament for Kassanda area – Bisaso. Is Bisaso here? Where is Bisaso? I am not allowed to speak, or to say anything, and the other people are not supposed to stand up or walk or what. That is how Bisaso looks like. He knows about Emyooga, that man. Thank you. On account of peace, some traders have generated a lot of capital through imports. These are the ones that built arcades and real estate. There is a young lady called Nanteza, who is always showcasing on UBC Television the different real estate developers. Can we see Nanteza? If you have captured her. She is always showing how rich people are. Let her also speak. Where is she? You have suppressed her. That is all the real estate built by your people. Where is Nanteza? You suppressed her. Munoonye Nanteza olunaddako . I have been watching her show every Sunday. There is poverty in Uganda, but there is also wealth, because those are Ugandans.

To cut the story of Apio short - she had been married for 20 years, and she has got adult children, like 18 and so on, teenagers, but she had never handled Shs 1 million in her life. She did not have land. When she got the land, when she got the Shs 1 million, she did not have her own land. She had to go and hire three acres from somebody else, grow maize, sell the maize, put some of the money back into agriculture, and then buy those sheep the ones you saw. When I was there during campaigns, she told me she had now 60 sheep. For me I did not know about sheep. Who buys sheep? She is the one who told me that, “No, South Sudanese like sheep, they buy.” Therefore, our people are clever when supported. They even know things we do not know. I did not know anything about sheep. Even in my dreams, I cannot dream about sheep, but she knew that sheep have a market in South Sudan. Nabutono, I do not know who buys Ssekkokko. I have no idea. But they know. So what they lack is support. Therefore, I want the Kisozi model. I do not want to live in a parish with poor people. That is what I told them. N’abe Kikisozi nabagamba nti sagaala kulirana baavu. Njagala kugenda mu ggulu (I want to go to heaven.) I do not want the angels to block me, saying, “ You were in Kisozi, you had neighboring poor people, and you kept quiet.” I must tell you - I told them. Now, you saw the house of Lule - let us watch that video with that man - show it to us again, his house and the coffee plantation. ( A video presentation was made.) - The man of Kisozi - see the house, car, coffee - that is how they are now. Therefore, leadership is not for ego, but for the people and the country. In agriculture, it is possible to have a Pan-Ugandan rural transformation. In the Kisozi area, I have nine villages with 2,048 homesteads now. As of today, all 2,048 homesteads have joined the money economy with coffee, bananas, dairy farming, goat rearing, and poultry. You did not show us the video with my manager at Kisozi, Nalwanga. Don’t you have her video? I have got a girl whom I have educated from P2. She went to Ndejje, and she is the one managing - Nalwanga - these people do not like my useful people. Nalwanga tebamwagala wano . In the cattle corridor, most of the original families have joined the money economy through dairy farming. In order to stabilise agriculture, we are addressing the issue of irrigation. Apart from the big irrigation schemes such as Mobuku, Doho, etc., we are developing many micro solar-powered irrigation schemes, working with a British group known as Nexus Green. As we speak, they have worked with the Government to put solar-powered irrigation schemes in Ngora, Serere, Bukedea, Amolatar, Kwania, Apac, Kassanda, Masaka, Mukono. Those are some of the irrigation schemes. In conclusion, however, the two residual problems with the peasantry are, as I pointed out above, some of them still rely on okusetura , free range, which underutilises the land. A square mile of a well-cleared farm, no bushes, no muteete , no shrubs, no acacia, will cater for 300 long-horn cattle, including the calves. With pasture growing and zero grazing, a square mile will cater for 6,000 cattle.

Is the motion seconded? It is seconded by Hon. Anifa, Hon. Abigaba, Hon. Ssentayi and Hon. Fadhil; Hon. Isiagi, Hon. Angura, the honourable member representing Mubende District , and Hon. Amos Lugoloobi. Hon. Logose of Butaleja District, Hon. Pex, Hon. Jay Shyam and the whole House; except for a few of my neighbours here – (Laughter) – Hon. Nambooze, Hon. Ssenyonyi, Hon. David Kalwanga and the honourable member from Kassanda. Can you speak to your motion?

15 THE TWELFTH PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA FRIDAY, 15 MAY 2026 58. Niyonsaba Alex Bufumbira County South Kisoro NRM 59. Nsamba Patrick Oshabe Kassanda County North Kassanda NUP 60. Ntale Nsereko Madina Kawempe Division South Kampala NRM 61. Obigah Rose Woman Representative Terego NRM 62. Ochai Maximus West Budama County North Tororo NRM 63. Ojok Andrew Oulanyah Omoro County Omoro NRM 64. Okello Patrick Onguti Aswa County Gulu DP 65. Okot Boniface Henry Kole South County Kole NRM 66. Odwori John Kagoma North County Jinja NUP 67. Oboth Marksons Jacob West Budama Central County Tororo NRM 68. Onzima Phiona Ayivu Division West Arua City NRM 69. Ongalo-Obote Clement Kenneth Kalaki County Kalaki NRM 70. Okia Joanne Aniku Woman Representative Madi-Okollo NRM 71. Nsegumire Muhamad Kibedi Mityana County North Mityana NRM 72. Okullo Francis Ochero County Kaberamaido NRM 73. Opio Samuel Acuti Kole North County Kole NRM 74. Okwi Constantine Kibale County Pallisa NRM 75. Waako Joy Peggy Older Persons Representative Female NRM 76. Ongiertho Emmanuel Jor Nebbi Municipality Nebbi Independent 77. Ssekitoleeko Robert Bamunanika County Luweero NUP 78. Ogwang Peter Ngariam County Katakwi NRM 79. Ongorok Richard Usuk County Katakwi NRM 80. Olanya Gilbert Kilak South County Amuru FDC 81. Okoya John Calvin Chua East County Kaberamaido NRM 82. Okello Geoffery Charles Nwoya East County Nwoya DP 83. Ogama Alli Ismail Lower Madi County Madi-Okollo NRM The House was suspended at 11.12 a.m. until 1.00 p.m. On resumption, at 1.00 p.m. 84. Wanyoto Godfrey Budadiri County West Sironko Independent 85. Nyamutoro Phiona Woman Representative Nebbi NRM 86. Opio Denish Geoffrey Nwoya County Nwoya DP 87. Origumisiriza Enid Atuheire Woman Representative Kabale NRM 88. Ottober Wellborn Odiya Aruu North County Pader NRM 89. Ssewagudde Robert PWD Representative N/A Independent 90. Otimgiw Isaac Ismail Padyere County Nebbi NRM 91. Ruteraho Lillian Woman Representative Isingiro NRM 92. Ssemwanga Joseph (Brig. Gen.) UPDF Representative N/A N/A 93. Sange Jackline Woman Representative Kween NRM 94. Opolot-Okwalinga Simon Peter Kanyum County Kumi NRM 95. Owere Richard Machika West Budama North East Tororo NRM 96. Paparu Lillian Obiale Woman Representative Arua NRM 97. Paak Peter Pex Dodoth East County Kaabong NRM 98. Rwakoojo Robina Gureme Woman Representative Gomba NRM 99. Rwashande Emmanuel (Brig. Gen. Rtd) Lwemiyaga County Ssembabule NRM 100. Sekabira Denes Katikamu North County Luweero NUP 101. Ssewungu Joseph Gonzaga Kalungu County West Kalungu NUP 102. Owino Nicholas Simon Tororo North County Tororo NRM

3 THE TWELFTH PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA WEDNESDAY, 13 MAY 2026 57. Alum Santa Sandra Ogwang District Woman Representative Oyam UPC 58. Akoth Angella Nzokire District Woman Representative Tororo Independent 59. Alero Tom Aza West Moyo County Moyo NRM 60. Anywar Ricky Richard Agago West County Agago NRM 61. Aogon Silas Kumi Municipality Kumi Independent 62. Aol Betty Ocan City Woman Representative Gulu City PFF 63. Arinaitwe Jeniva District Woman Representative Rubirizi NRM 64. Arinaitwe Rwakajara Katambuka Workers Representative N/A NRM 65. Aseera Stephen Buhaguzi East County Kikuube NRM 66. Asiimwe Florence Akiiki District Woman Representative Masindi NRM 67. Attan Okia Moses Soroti East County Soroti City FDC 68. Kiconco Katabaazi Patrick Rukiga County Rukiga NRM 69. Atuhwereire Arthur Kazoora Ruhinda South County Mitooma NRM 70. Atukunda Rebecca Mubangizi District Woman Representative Kassanda NRM 71. Atuto Jacinta District Woman Representative Kapelebyong NRM 72. Atwijukire Boaz Katerera County Rubirizi Independent 73. Alupo Jessica Rose Epel District Woman Representative Katakwi NRM 74. Atwijukire Dan Kimosho Kazo County Kazo NRM 75. Acora Nancy Odonga District Woman Representative Lamwo NRM 76. Atyang Stella District Woman Representative Moroto NRM 77. Auma Janet District Woman Representative Amolatar UPC 78. Auma Kenny District Woman Representative Kwania UPC 79. Avako Melsa Naima Gule District Woman Representative Yumbe NRM 80. Anyango Janet Hope District Woman Representative Busia NRM 81. Ayagalachi Jamali Bukooli County Bugiri NUP 82. Achia Remigio Pian County Nabilatuk NRM 83. Ayepa Michael Labwor County Abim NRM 84. Ayoo Janeth Phoebe Obol District Woman Representative Gulu NRM 85. Apolot Christine District Woman Representative Kumi Independent 86. Ayume Charles Koboko Municipality Koboko NRM 87. Avur Jane Pacuto District Woman Representative Pakwach NRM 88. Atugonza Allan Buliisa County Buliisa NRM 89. Baatom Ben Koryang Dodoth West County Karenga NRM 90. Babirye Kityo Sarah Bukoto County East Masaka NRM 91. Babirye Milly Babalanda Budiope West County Buyende NRM 92. Ariko Herbert Edmund Okworo Gweri County Soroti NRM 93. Kakooza James Older Persons Representative Central NRM 94. Awor Betty Engola District Woman Representative Apac NRM 95. Engola Sam Erute County South Lira NRM 96. Baryomunsi Chris Kinkizi County East Kanungu NRM 97. Nabbanja Robinah District Woman Representative Kakumiro NRM (The House was suspended at 11.38 a.m.) (On resumption at 1.29 p.m., the Clerk presiding.) 98. Auma Linda Agnes District Woman Representative Lira NRM 99. Babanga Wilfred Erima Terego East County Terego NRM 100. Babula Noel Kataike Matilda District Woman Representative Budaka NRM 101. Bahireira Sylivia Tumwekwase District Woman Representative Kamwenge NRM 102. Bakireke Nambooze Betty Mukono Municipality Mukono NUP

4 ADMINISTRATION OF OATHS 103. Kalenzi Victor Bunyangabu County Bunyangabu NRM 104. Basajjassubi Nsereko Charles Nakaseke South County Nakaseke NRM Kawuma 105. Baseke Fred Ntenjeru County South Kayunga NRM 106. Bright Tom Amooti Kyaka Central County Kyegegwa NRM 107. Bazaanya Matayo Bugabula County South Kamuli NRM 108. Begiira Samuel Youth Representative Central NRM 109. Begumisa Protazio Ndorwa County East Kabale NRM 110. Bagiire Aggrey Henry Bunya County West Mayuge NRM 111. Baryayanga Andrew Aja Kabale Municipality Kabale NRM 112. Bassajja Iddi Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality Bushenyi NRM 113. Bigirwa Norah Nyendwoha District Woman Representative Buliisa NRM 114. Bingi Patrick Nyanzi Butemba County Kyankwanzi NRM 115. Birungi Annet Workers Representative N/A NRM 116. Birungi Carolyn Nanyondo Kyamuswa County Kalangala NRM 117. Banya Emmanuel Natal Koboko County Koboko NRM 118. Biara Emmanuel Wepukhulu Bulambuli County Bulambuli NRM 119. Kabarokole Sarah District Woman Representative Bunyangabu NRM 120. Bisaso Abdul Kassanda County South Kassanda NRM 121. Bakashaba Christopher Mbarara North Division Mbarara City NRM 122. Oleru Huda Abason Aringa East County Yumbe NRM 123. Kabanda Minsa Nabbengo Kampala Central Division Kampala NRM 124. Bebona Josephine Babungi District Woman Representative Bundibugyo NRM 125. Baguma Spellanza Muhenda District Woman Representative Kyenjojo Independent 126. Batuwa Timothy Lusala Jinja South Division West Jinja City NUP 127. Byamukama Fred Bugangaizi West County Kakumiro NRM 128. Kadaga Rebecca Alitwala District Woman Representative Kamuli NRM 129. Byamukama Rogers Masindi Municipality Masindi NRM 130. Byanyima Nathan Bukanga North County Isingiro NRM 131. Byibesho Sam Kisoro Municipality Kisoro NRM 132. Byuma Oswald Dez Mawogola County Ssembabule NRM 133. Cadet Benjamin Bunyaruguru County Rubirizi NRM 134. Challa Elma Kapel Youth Representative Northern NRM 135. Chandia Benadette Kodili District Woman Representative Moyo NRM 136. Chemonges William Kween County Kween NRM 137. Chemutai Phyllis District Woman Representative Kapchorwa Independent 138. Cheutich Rufina District Woman Representative Amudat NRM 139. Dramviku Eric Sabiti Terego West County Terego NRM 140. Driwaru Jennifer District Woman Representative Maracha NRM 141. Echodu David Calvin Soroti West County Soroti City NRM 142. Edakasi Alfred Elalu-Olale Kaberamaido County Kaberamaido NRM 143. Ediau Samuel Amuria County Amuria NRM 144. Edopu Peter Edeku Dakabela County Soroti NRM 145. Ekoro Alex Irukan Bunya County East Mayuge NRM 146. Elem Leo Moroto County Alebtong UPC 147. Emaju Peter Paul Kasilo County Serere NRM 148. Eron Tonny Kwania County Kwania NRM 149. Etilu Margaret District Woman Representative Amuria NRM 150. Bagoole Ngobi John Luuka North County Luuka NRM 151. Eunice Otuko Apio Oyam County North Oyam UPC 152. Kamuntu Ephraim Sheema County South Sheema NRM

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I beg to lay the observations of the Opposition to this very report so that it can also be incorporated. I pray that as they sit in that meeting, the issue of new districts not having tarmac roads - we, the new districts, however small we are - Madam Speaker, in Kalungu, we have only one tarmac road that leads to the Reverend Sister’s place and another that leads to a church. It was constructed by different people. There is no single tarmac in Kalungu District and Kassanda. Attorney-General, you have not talked about that, but let me table this. You will see it. Thank you.

18634 CONSIDERATION OF THE BUDGET ESTIMATES FOR FY 2026/2027 Madam Speaker, we still grapple with the backlog of cases in this country. The Judiciary plans to increase the case disposal rate from 58 per cent in Financial Year 2024/2025 to 60.6 per cent in Financial Year 2026/2027. This will reduce the backlog from 24.2 per cent to 22.2 per cent and dispose of 291,544 cases by the end of 2026, hence the need for an additional Shs 20.12 billion in case backlog reduction strategies, such as special court sessions. The committee, however, noted that a significant number of cases committed to the High Court remained unheard for years alongside infrequent court appearances and extended intervals between hearings. Additionally, the committee is concerned that the Judiciary’s projected plan to reduce the backlog is not satisfactory due to the minimal percentage. The committee has recommended that the funding requested by the Judiciary to tackle the issue of case backlog be deferred temporarily until a comprehensive plan is provided. Implementation of the legal representation at the expense of the state in capital offences in line with the Judiciary Legal Representation at the Expense of the State The committee noted that Article 28(3) of the Constitution requires that every person who is charged with a criminal offence that carries a sentence of death or imprisonment for life is entitled to legal representation at the expense of the state. Similarly, the Judicature (Legal Representation at the Expense of the State) Rules, 2022 have revised the rates upwards for facilitation of advocates on state briefs. To be able to fulfil this mandate, the Judiciary requires an additional Shs 31.97 billion. The committee recommends that Shs 31.97 billion be provided to the Judiciary to facilitate advocates to hold these cases on a State brief. Automation of courts to eliminate delays in the management of cases The committee was informed that the Judiciary plans to roll out the Electronic Case Management System, ECMIS, to an additional 20 court stations, which include, among others: i) Masaka High Court; ii) Masaka Chief Magistrate’s Court; iii) Kalangala Chief Magistrate’s Court; iv) Sembabule Chief Magistrate’s Court; v) Kalungu/Lukaya Grade One Court; vi) Mpigi High Court; vii) Mpigi Chief Magistrate’s Court; viii) Gomba Chief Magistrate’s Court; ix) Butambala Chief Magistrate’s Court; x) Nsangi Chief Magistrate’s Court; xi) Masindi High Court; xii) Masindi Chief Magistrate’s Court; xiii) Kiryandongo Chief Magistrate’s Court; xiv) Buliisa Chief Magistrate’s Court; xv) Kigumba Chief Magistrate’s Court; xvi) Mubende High Court; xvii) Mubende Chief Magistrate’s Court; xviii) Mityana Chief Magistrate’s Court; xix) Kassanda Chief Magistrate’s Court; and xx) Kyegegwa Chief Magistrate’s Court. Madam Speaker, I have read all of them to show the balanced nature throughout the country. The committee recommends that Shs 13.739 billion be provided during the Financial Year 2026/2027 to enable the Judiciary to automate case management business processes, thereby quickening adjudication and reducing person- to-person interactions, thereby mitigating corruption incidents. Budget increase and misalignment The Judiciary’s proposed budget for the Financial Year 2026/2027 stands at Shs 633.97 billion, representing a 43.7 per cent increase from the Financial Year 2025/2026 approved budget of Shs 44.223 billion. The committee noted a 103.5 per cent increase in the travel budget of the Judiciary from Shs 43.79 billion to Shs 89.154 billion, with the Ministerial Policy Statement (MPS) showing extensive travel inland provisions totalling Shs 77.0 billion and travel abroad to Shs 12.2

18649 THE ELEVENTH PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA THURSDAY, 16 APRIL 2026 This project intends to ensure the connection of 1,073,500 new connections of people to the electricity grid. The distribution is as follows: Central Region, 497,106; Eastern Region, 216,616; Northern, 140,337; and Western Uganda, 219,441 new connections, all amounting to 1,073,500 new connections. Under the mineral exploration and beneficiation projects, there is exploration and support for the mineral value chains. This is to improve the value of the minerals that are being obtained by the various artisanal as well as developed miners. This is planned for in Ssembabule, Buhweju, Iganga, Luweero, Kyenjojo, Ntungamo, Kazo, Kiboga, Kassanda, Mubende, Nakasongola, Mityana, and Nakaseke districts. On the Kilembe redevelopment and mineral value addition, the Government intends to support mining, processing, and mineral value addition under the Kilembe project. This will be located in Kilembe, which is in Kasese. There will also be Busia, Mbarara, Iganga, Jinja, Tororo, Rubanda, Kampala, and other mineral processing points in the country. Observations on Vote 017 The committee welcomes -

Thank you very much, honourable chairperson. Madam Speaker, the information I want to give to the chairperson of this committee is that we were members of the Natural Resources Committee in 2018 when REA was doing everything possible to extend power lines. Members of Parliament would go to REA and at least somebody’s line would be surveyed and work could go on. We passed a supplementary for the ministry in 2023 for the backlog and in 2024, we also passed billions of monies. However, in Kassanda where I come from, they told me they got a contractor but two years down the road, the contractor has not been seen on the ground. Lines were left, and I know it is not only in Kassanda. It must be everywhere in the country. Madam Speaker, this ministry will not manage. We are going to continue - even if you give them all the money they are talking about. Thank you.

18505 THE ELEVENTH PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA WEDNESDAY, 1 APRIL 2026 we were only doing about 220 kilometres. With the Shs 1 billion grant, we increased the kilometres from about 220 to 480. These guidelines, issued by the Ministry of Works and Transport, are what prescribes how much money must be allocated per kilometre. Madam Speaker, in our districts, we have road committees, and these would sit down and prioritise what is most effective in their work plan. Unfortunately, there is a letter from the PS that says, “Please follow the guideline”, and the guideline is saying you have to implement a kilometre at a cost of between Shs 8 million and Shs 20 million. Madam Speaker, that kills our purpose because our original goal was that all roads in the districts should be motorable. At least it would help us ensure that more kilometres are completed and motorable, so our people can move now. The Ministry of Works and Transport is advising our engineers that “Please do the road with about Shs 8 million to Shs 20 million”. It would be very good if we had enough funds, but with the Shs 1 billion, Kassanda was reduced from 480 – With the money we have been using to work on about 480 kilometres, they have now reduced it to just 120 kilometres – implying that in a period of five years – because we have about 500 kilometres – only one road can be done in a particular constituency. My prayer is that the Ministry of Works and Transport leave the powers, because the law empowers the road committees in the respective districts to prioritise this money. Let the power to prioritise how much money is given for which road be left to the people at the grassroots. There are chokes where a committee can sit and choose to say, “We are prioritising this, this financial year.” Let the ministry not prescribe how much money will be utilised, because for us in Kassanda, our priority was to ensure that all roads are motorable, and we have benefitted a lot. Now they have reduced it to 120 kilometres, many people are crying, and I am sure if this is happening in Kassanda, it could be happening in other districts. My second prayer, Madam Speaker, is that if there is a need to do more of these roads, we need to come here and add more money to the grant so that it can be Shs 2 billion or more, so that more roads can be done.

Madam Speaker, I want to agree entirely with the Member from Kassanda District. By the time the Government increased this grant to Shs 1 billion for districts, cities and municipalities that are making good utilisation of the money, you can see great improvement in the road network in terms of motorability. I would plead with you to give the Ministry of Works and Transport an opportunity to come and interface with Parliament regarding the justification for issuing new circulars without even informing this House. We debated this matter in a very protracted manner, guided the process, and we came up with the guidelines. The guidelines we agreed on the Floor of Parliament were communicated at that time. The district roads committee of the respective districts, where we sit, had the power to agree on how much could be covered in a kilometre. Madam Speaker, this money must really be put to good use. Let the Ministry of Works and Transport be given time; this is my prayer – also, in addition to his prayer – to come and explain to Parliament, but we want to know the justification or the rationale of Shs 8 million and Shs 20 million. In Alebtong, we were

Honourable member, you need seconders to that effect first. (Members rose.) I have Hon. Muwuma, Hon. Ferigo, Hon. Laura, Hon. Richard, Hon. Achan, Hon. Hope, Hon. Fox, Hon. Jacob, Hon. David, Hon. Edakasi, Hon. Akifeza, Hon. Rose, Hon. Linda, Hon. Margaret, Hon. Victorious, Hon. Noah, Hon. Gabriel, Hon. Apio, the honourable Chief Opposition Whip, and the Members for Kassanda – both man and woman. (Laughter) You know I cannot mention his name because he is my father.

18366 COMMUNICATION FROM THE CHAIR Development. During scrutiny of the Bill, it has emerged that the Government has reservations, given that the object of the Bill is to define and criminalise sexual offences which are already covered under the existing laws. To conserve time and effort, I will ask the sponsor of the Bill, Hon. Anna Adeke Ebaju, and she delegated Hon. Flavia of Kassanda, to bring a withdrawal motion.

It is seconded by Hon. Obua, Hon. Baka, Hon. Teira, Hon. Muwuma, Hon. Gabriel, Hon. Noah, Hon. Gerald, Mukatuliki, Hon. Vicky, Hon. Linda, Hon. Moses Walyomu, Hon. Margaret, and honourable member for Kassanda.

Seconded by: Hon. Francis Mwijukye, Hon. Denis Nyangweso, Hon. Ssimbwa, Hon. Akena, Hon. Matovu, Dr Lulume, Dr Kamara, Members for Kassanda; women and men, Hon. Gilbert, Hon. Nambeshe, Hon. Ssewungu, Dr Batuwa, Hon. Baka. Honourable members, we need a comprehensive amendment in the Administration of Parliament Bill, and that comprehensive amendment should be brought in the 12 th Parliament. We should not bring it piecemeal.

17653 THE ELEVENTH PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA TUESDAY, 5 AUGUST 2025 have faced during the exercise. To date, we have received 30 complaints via this email address. 6. Distributing uniforms with identity tags across the country to ease identification of bona fide NIRA staff. Some challenges have been encountered and these include the following: 1. Clients not willing to disclose the full details of extorting staff and accompanying evidence. This makes cases difficult to prosecute. For example, in Kassanda, the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) was informed by the complainants about people extorting. He caused the arrest of two NIRA staff and two non-staff. They were taken to Kassanda Police Station for one week, but no one reported to make a statement or lodge a formal complaint. They were released on bond, awaiting the complainants’ coming forward. 2. Brokers and middlemen masquerading as NIRA staff to extort from the public. 3. Partners supporting the exercise over whom the authority has no control, including local council chairpersons and others, soliciting bribes under the pretext of being NIRA staff. Oftentimes, these act as brokers. 4. Literacy levels of some of the clients who are unable to read and write, and therefore, seek services from middlemen. In conclusion, Madam Speaker, I would like to reiterate that the process of enrolment and renewal of national IDs is free of charge. We call upon the public to be vigilant and bold in reporting anyone trying to extract money from them. Together, we can get the culprits. I beg to submit.

17494 ADDRESS ON THE STATE OF THE NATION In Tororo, where we have got large deposits of limestone, and Kabale, where we have got iron ore, the Government has facilitated the use of these minerals for making cement and steel, respectively. In Kabale, we have put in place the infrastructure for mining the iron ore from which domestic steel manufacturers have started making high- quality steel. There are now 10 gold refineries in the country producing gold, which is refined to 99.9 per cent purity. There are gold mining activities in Busia by a Chinese company called Wagagai, and the Government embarked on the registration of artisanal miners in Buhweju, Busia, Mubende, Kassanda and Karamoja. Registration will be expanded to cover all artisanal mining areas in the country. In Moyo, there are gold reserves and huge limestone deposits, apparently, which are raw material for cement production in Madi- Manzora. We currently have three cement manufacturing plants, namely Tororo, Hima, and Simba Cement, a high-quality tin smelting plant in Mbarara with an annual capacity of 1,600 tons. A number of cement factories are coming up in Karamoja. The Government is also facilitating the establishment of a modern mineral laboratory in Entebbe, which is in the final stages of accreditation to international standards. This financial year, the Government started the capitalisation of the Uganda National Mining Company. This company will take an equity stake of up to 15 per cent in all medium-scale and large-scale strategic mining operations in the country. This is to ensure that as we attract foreign direct investment capital, the country benefits directly, in addition to monitoring what is happening in the sector. The company will be capitalised to a tune of Shs 500 billion over five years. Oil and gas With regard to oil and gas production, the Government is investing in the requisite infrastructure for commercial production. Kabalega International Airport is near completion, and 700 kilometres of tarmac roads have been constructed in the Albertine area. The civil works for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) are scheduled for completion next financial year, both in Uganda and Tanzania. The Ugandan National Oil Company commenced the petroleum bulk trading business in August 2024. The objective is to ensure the security of fuel supply, reduction in the petroleum pump prices, and ensure the quality of petroleum products on the market. Since the Government started implementing this initiative, Uganda has experienced some reduction in fuel pump prices. We rejected the old mistake of a whole country like Uganda buying petroleum products from middlemen in Kenya. Can you imagine? Your people were buying petroleum for the Republic of Uganda, a member of the United Nations, from middlemen. Can you imagine? You cannot believe what happens in Africa. I did not believe it. And you know, in these ministries, there are people called commissioners. Have you heard of them? Commissioner of ignorance or what? (Laughter) When I came to know of it, I said, “This would not happen. Why not buy from refiners? Don’t you know where the refineries are or the bulk suppliers?” You can’t believe it. Africa is really a continent of wonders; a whole country buying petroleum from middlemen! I did not know of this, and I was sitting there, “President, President.” (Laughter) In the minerals sector, the Government’s investment next financial year will prioritise the following:

17497 THE ELEVENTH PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA THURSDAY, 5 JUNE 2025 Ssembabule-Mateete-Mbiriizi with a branch to Kibinge-Kyabakuza; Myanzi-Kasanda-Kiboga – abantu bange abe Kassanda akalulu mukatereeze; Kikagate Kitwe-Mirama Hill – Mama was about to kill me on this one here. Kati mponye; Kabiingo-Rugaaga-Magabi-Rakai; Luweero-Butalangwa-Ngoma-Bulyamusenyi- Masindi; Kayunga-Bbale-Galiraya. I am going to get additional money for these roads because we have been talking about them for a long time. These will be in addition to the completion of the following roads: 92km Muyembe- Nakapiripirit and 25 kilometres of service roads; 21km Kira-Matugga Road and improvement of five junctions, 26 kilometres of Tororo-Busia Road and Mayuge and Busia Town Roads, 6.6 kilometres of Kawuku-Bwerenga Road, the 100-kilometre Apac-Lira-Puranga road – these are already being worked on. They are going to be finished – and 1.6 kilometres to Namugonde-Bugiri fuel tank reservoir. The roads for maintenance or reconstruction include – 1. Kampala-Jinja Highway – 72 kilometres; 2. Busunju-Kiboga-Hoima – 145 kilometres; 3. Mityana-Mubende Road – 86 kilometres; and Mubende-Kyenjojo Road, 95 kilometres; 4. Mityana Town roads – 14 kilometres – ab’eMityana mutereze akalulu banange. Buno obuli eyo tebulina kyebukola, butabula. Muleta obusajjasajja – 5. Alwii-Nebbi Road – 33 kilometres – this is in West Nile - Pakwach and Nebbi Town roads; 6. Olwiyo-Pakwach Road – 62 kilometres; 7. Matugga-Semuto-Kapeeka – 41 kilome - tres – (Applause) Waliyo akasajja eyo e’Nakaseke. Abantu bange, mutereze ebigambo ebyo, obusajja obwo bugende bukole ebirala. 8. Tororo-Mbale-Soroti. This is a long one. 9. Soroti-Dokolo-Lira-Kamdini Road – 189 kilometres. These are ongoing already. 10. Karuma-Olwiyo – 43 kilometres; 11. Masaka-Kyotera-Mutukula Road – 89 kilometres; 12. Nyendo-Villa Maria Road – 11 kilometres; 13. Access Roads – 7 kilometres and rehabilitation of 166 kilometres equivalent of national roads that have reached their service life. What they call “service life” is zikadiye . The strategic bridges to be prioritised – there is a road in Mpigi, Kasanje – aka’town akalala bakayita batya? Kisubi. Waliwo aka town eyo munda akalala; Nakawuka. Elyo sirilabye wano. Tulina okuriteekako nalyo. Naye abantu batereze obululu banange. The strategic bridges - so I will have to add that road. I thought we had started on it. The strategic bridges to be prioritised in the next financial year include the Sezibwa Bridge along Kalagi-Kayunga Road, Katonga Bridge, Lwera Swamp, and Kalandazi Swamp. Electricity In 1986, the whole country had only one hydropower plant; Nalubaale, formerly called Owen Falls Dam, built by the British in 1954, and commissioned by our late auntie, Queen Elizabeth, with the maximum capacity of 150 megawatts of hydroelectricity. There are now four large hydropower plants at Nalubaale, Kiira, Isimba and Karuma, with a combined generation capacity of 1,163 megawatts. Other sources such as Kigwabya and XsaboKonge Solar Power in Mubende have added another 888 megawatts. This brings the total installed electricity generation capacity to 2,052 megawatts. However, given the growing electricity demand arising from the new manufacturers, this is very inadequate and the available capacity will run out in about five years from now. When people talk of surplus, there is no surplus. It will very soon be overtaken.

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. We want the minister to be kind to us. There were District, Urban, and Community Access Roads (DUCARs) that were managed by UNRA. They are national roads in nature and those are the roads that concern us mainly – us who come from rural areas. Now, when you come here and talk about them generally, you do not help us. The Speaker’s question is, what is on the ground? Those roads are not catered for by the districts because previously they were managed by UNRA. Now they are in their state. I can tell you the road from Kassanda up to Kiyuya has become so impassable. That road was being maintained by a framework contract. Now, I want to get a clarification from you. When you got UNRA, did you stop all framework contracts? Did you stop all of them? The other point of clarification is: what is the status now? Who is responsible for those roads that were previously called UNRA roads? Tell us. There are these big roads that are national in nature, but there are also those roads that used to get financing from the Uganda Road Fund, which was also closed. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the chairperson for the report that has tried to highlight the situation, especially on the welfare of our men in uniform. Many colleagues have spoken about the welfare of our policemen or ladies in uniform, who try to keep peace and order in the communities. This remains a big challenge, looking at where they reside or the shelters they live in as well as the conditions under which they work. When you go to Nalutuntu, a subcounty in my constituency – it is on the Mubende-Mityana Highway – it lacks a patrol car for emergency response. In case of accidents, we have to wait for a patrol car from Kassanda police headquarters. Looking at transportation, I think it is high time we prioritised giving transport means and look at how they will be facilitated to keep them functional. Many of the motor vehicles or motorcycles that are given out lack repair budget allocations, to maintain them and keep them in good shape. It is mostly us, the leaders, that try to reach out to see that this equipment is kept operational to help the communities. Lastly, Mr Speaker, when you look at the issue of congested prisons, I have seen the committee’s resolutions and recommendations urging us to allocate more funds to build more prisons. How I wish this Parliament questions itself on how justice is denied or delayed to these individuals or inmates in these prisons. We have been advocating and crying out to the Government to come and let the justice ministry or the justice sector to provide justice to these young people who are held in prisons. Most of them are on political cases. We believe that if their cases were ruled on or dismissed, we could reduce the congestion other than just looking at the aspect of giving money to build more prisons. We should look at capacitating the judicial services to be able to handle all the cases that have been submitted to their charge. We cannot only be looking at building more prisons to accommodate our people, mostly the young people. I remember that we received a report here, and among the inmates, there was someone that was arrested and remanded even before I was born – (Member timed out.)

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I would like to begin by pleading with you that when we are doing the final stages of this budget, this Parliament is accorded enough time. We can debate a budget for a week, and it is very possible, Mr Speaker. It gives us enough time to scrutinise whatever we are passing, to avoid situations where people come to us and say that we passed an item when we were not aware. This has happened before. Whatever Members have presented here, are issues that are dear to them. We want to be sure. The minister must commit that whatever the Members have highlighted here is at least considered in the forthcoming budget. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, and we would be happy if we received that commitment. Mr Speaker, mine are two critical issues: One, my brother here has talked about the power lines without power. That is the same story in Kassanda since 2018. You have also said that it is the same problem. Secondly, Mr Speaker, we have dilapidated school structures of government schools. Our people are paying dearly to private schools that have good infrastructure. We can save this nation by prioritising the renovation of both primary and secondary government schools

15663 THE ELEVENTH PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA WEDNESDAY, 22 JANUARY 2025 Hon. Asamo, I am sorry I forgot to respond to your request. It is your right and I know we are trying to make some adjustments on the seating arrangements, but at least the Clerk needs to return the chairs for the disabled and the elderly, which were in that corner. I am going to ensure that is done and when we do it, colleagues, we should respect that corner. I also have people whose height can only allow sitting in business class, like Hon. Anthony Akol. That is why you saw him here. He said his legs cannot pass through - the ‘buffalo’ cannot easily - that is what he told me. We are going to see how we can adjust to those special seating arrangements. For people with disabilities and the elderly, we shall work on that as well. Clerk, kindly take note. Sergeant-At-Arms, please take note of that and we address it urgently. Wow, I am having - I do not know but today, the issues are really many. Some are very urgent - no, allow me to first finish my procedural issues here. Yes, Dr Bukenya, Hon. Dr Emmanuel Otaala, then Hon. Santa Alum. DR MICHAEL BUKENYA (NRM, Bukuya County, Kassanda: Thank you, Mr Speaker. One of the key responsibilities of this Government, and which has been one of its key achievements, is ensuring the security of people and their property. However, in the last eight weeks, we have had increasing insecurity in Bukuya with panga-wielding men, popularly known as Bijambiya coming at night - we have had six incidents, one of which was fatal, but in the other five, the victims were hospitalised. Mr Speaker, I want to thank the Police because with the minimal resources and personnel they managed to arrest some of these criminals and paraded a few of them in court. However, when you interact with the Police and with the community, you realise that there are very many who are still within and my prayer is that the Ministry of Internal Affairs intervenes and deploys vehicles, fuel, personnel, and technical expertise to help us crack the units of these criminals such that the people of Bukuya can go back to their normal life. I thank you.

Mr Speaker, first of all, I entirely concur with the submission of Hon. Kwizera on one part. It is true that it is the policy of the Government to have a seed secondary school per subcounty across the country. It is also true that as the Ministry of Education and Sports, we are undertaking the construction of a number of secondary schools across the country. Some of you, colleagues, can attest because these constructions occur in your respective sub-counties. In terms of the list, which appeared in the newspaper yesterday, I want to say the following: I cannot deny nor confirm However, permit me to bring the official list to this House so that it is a list that I can own as a minister responsible for education and sports. Thereafter, I will answer questions, specifically on how I went to Kachumbala, Rukiga, Moyo or Kassanda. I will answer when I have the list with me once my statement is ready. I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Thank you, honourable minister. Honourable colleagues, I am going to open up. Hon. Muloni, Hon. Onzima, former chairperson, and then here, I will pick Hon. Nabagabe of Kassanda – no, Hon. Roland, take your seat – Hon. Eng. Balimwezo, Hon, Sekabira, and Hon. Ssewanyana. Honourable members, first take your seats. I will first pick those who have not spoken.

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, and Happy New Year everyone. I have two questions or pertinent issues. The very first that I want to pose to the minister is about the upgrade. By the time the deadline for the upgrade passed, we had about 90,000 households that had never been upgraded. We are wondering what their fate is right now. What is the deadline, especially now that the Umeme contract is ending? This brings me to part (b) of that question, which is about the transitioning of Umeme to Government. In Kassanda, we are already struggling with the transition of REA to Umeme. That has caused us problems of not getting electricity. Now Umeme to the UEDCL, what is the process of upgrading these meters and then the transition process? Finally, my last question is about the grey cone log meters, the old ones, like the ones that some of us still have in our homes, that were reported inaccurate, causing both users and Umeme a power loss. These very old meters have been prone to hacking. I hope that you are aware of that. They are a one-way tracker, whereas the new ones are a two-way, which are simply easier to audit. I am wondering why the Government, especially Umeme, has not yet enforced the upgrading to avoid these power losses to both the Government and Ugandans who are paying these taxes. Thank you very much.

Is the motion seconded? (Members rose_) It is seconded by the Leader of the Opposition, the Government Chief Whip, the Chief Opposition Whip, Hon. Christine – by the whole House - by Hon. Kateshumbwa, Hon. Sarah, Hon. Donald, Hon. Ibanda, Hon. Macho, the Imam of Parliament, Hon. Abdu, Hon. Karim, Hon. Hassan – I am looking for the Muslims –(Laughter)- by Hon. Luttamaguzi, Hon. Asuman, Hon. Mpuuga, Hon. Yeri, Hon. Akifeza, Hon. Esenu, Hon. Isaac, Hon. Margaret, Hon. Claire, Hon. Joslyline, Hon. Obangaina –(Laughter)- Hon. Baka, the honourable member from Buhweju, Hon. Betty, Hon. Judith, Hon. Iddi Isabirye, Hon. Solomon, Hon. Dr Bhoka, Hon. Noeline, Hon. Kibalya, Hon. Moses, Hon. Kinobere, Hon. Eddie Kwizera, Hon. Sam, Hon. Margaret – Workers Representative – Hon. Atkins, Hon. Apea, Hon. Zaake, Hon. Hillary, Hon. Ethel, Hon. Goretti, Hon. Asinasi, Hon. Nsanja, Hon. Fortunate, honourable member from Mityana, Member from Kassanda, Hon. Allan, Hon. Denis and Hon. Aloysius. Have I not mentioned all your names? (Applause) Would you like to speak to your motion?

15399 THE ELEVENTH PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA THURSDAY, 28 NOVEMBER 2024 I want to answer his second by saying that the Government has plans to construct boarding schools for both primary and secondary schools in the Karamoja subregion. According to him, why can’t this same programme be extended to the equally disadvantaged islands? My response is that the Government’s initiative to build boarding schools in Karamoja is based on the unique challenges in that region, such as insecurity, nomadic lifestyles and the need to stabilise the education system for the vulnerable communities of Karamoja. Karamoja has historically faced challenges linked to pastoralism and cattle raiding also known as cattle rustling, making it difficult for children to access education without boarding facilities. The Government under the Karamoja Primary Education Programme indeed upgraded 21 primary schools in all seven districts in the Karamoja subregion. The project was funded by the Irish Aid and it was concluded in 2017. The construction of seed secondary schools across the country, supported by the World Bank does not include boarding facilities, as the focus is on the provision of day schools under the UNIVERSAL Secondary Education (USE) programme. However, the Government recognises the need for boarding facilities in island districts and hard-to-reach areas and plans to address these issues by incorporating such provisions once resources are available. Prayer number three is; what plans are in place to retain teachers in hard-to-reach areas like islands. My response is that the Government has put in place the following measures to retain teachers in hard-to-reach areas. i. Hardship allowance As you are aware, teachers in remote and difficult locations often receive additional compensation through hardship allowances to offset the challenges of working in such environments. The Minister of Education and Sports has been liaising with the Ministry of Public Service to include island schools among the hard-to-reach spots so that they receive top-up allowances. ii. Staff accommodation All seed secondary schools being constructed have staff accommodation. Plans are also underway to improve housing for teachers in remote areas to encourage them to stay. For instance, the construction of teachers’ houses near schools is a priority in many rural and island districts. Question number five is from Hon. Alex Brandon Kintu, Member of Parliament, Kagoma North County, Jinja District. According to him, many agro-processing machines face power challenges, hence affecting agro-processing projects across the country, such as the coffee factory in Myanzi, Kassanda district, which was established under the Agriculture Cluster Development Project (ACDP) programme and is currently hindered by lack of a transformer. His prayer is: can the Government prioritise the provision of adequate power supply to these vital projects? My response is that the Agricultural Cluster Development Project has facilitated the establishment of numerous agro-processing machines across the country. However, many of these projects are located in areas without an existing electric supply line. To tackle this challenge, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development is taking a two-fold approach. i) Framework contracts for power supply The ministry is finalising procurement framework contracts for the bulk supply of

15400 MINISTERIAL STATEMENT power line construction materials, as well as labour and transport, under the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Framework Priority Projects. Subject to availability of funds, this initiative will enable the ministry to quickly and efficiently install transformers, whenever needed, to support the agricultural production and value addition. ii) Electrification of agricultural processing facilities In the Financial Year 2023/2024, with technical support from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries electrified 21 agricultural processing facilities despite budget constraints. Additionally, 95 more agricultural processing centres have been identified and submitted to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development for inclusion in the upcoming projects. Madam Speaker, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development is collaborating with the ministry for agriculture to develop a targeted plan for the electrification of agricultural value addition and production centres across the country, including irrigation schemes. Specific to the Myanzi coffee factory in Kassanda, the Government, through the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, will provide a transformer. 6. Hon. Faith Nakut (Napak District) She said that in 2016 when the Government rolled out the upgrade of health facilities and construction of health infrastructure in Uganda, Karamoja district local governments were poised to wait for the Italian loan and, therefore, were omitted from U ganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfer Project (UgIFT) loan. It is reported that, to date, the Government has upgraded over 340 health facilities in the country while Karamoja and, especially Napak District, awaits the Italian loan which is closing 10 years in the offing. A number of people have passed on due to shortages and absence of health facilities. Her prayer is: Rt Hon. Prime Minister, when will Napak District health sector be served with health infrastructure? Madam Speaker, my response is that the Є 10 million Italian loan was delayed due to negotiation bottlenecks between the two governments. However, the Italian government has dispatched the funds and we have them in the Bank of Uganda on a special project account. The procurement process for the works has been finalised and a valuation report sent to the Italian government for a “No Objection”, as per the financing agreement. Once the Government of Uganda receives the no objection, works will begin immediately. The Attorney-General has already approved all the nine contracts for the nine districts of Karamoja. Works will begin this financial year. The Government is also exploring other funding modalities for Karamoja and is also co- financing the Italian support, with Shs 9 billion. 7. Hon. Nakut, Napak district She, again, said that in July 2022, at the Golden Jubilee celebrations in the Kangole Girls S.S., the Vice-President of the Republic of Uganda promised that the Cabinet would consider prioritising the construction of a girls’ dormitory to support girl child education in Karamoja. Her prayer is: in which financial year will the estimate for the girls’ dormitory appear in the national budget? Madam Speaker, Kangole Girls S.S. has been prioritised and is on the list of traditional schools to benefit from the U-LEARN project. This project will rehabilitate and provide infrastructure for traditional secondary schools, among which is the Kangole Girls Senior Secondary School. [Ms Nabbanja] PRIME MINISTER’S TIME

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to appreciate the Committee on Public Accounts (Local Government) for the wonderful report given to us. I have two issues. The very first issue is about under collection of revenues and we fail to get royalties where they are due. For example, Kassanda District is a gold mining area. However, even places like Lubaali and Lugongwe where the highest percentage of gold comes from, are not fully developed because we do not get the royalties.

It is a metaphor, figurative language, but the dust is ‘killing’ us because we have no single tarmac road. I have brought this to the attention of the Prime Minister. UNRA promised us a tarmac road but years have passed, and we have never got this. Yet, gold is leaving Lugongwe and Lubaali going everywhere except in Kassanda. Shame! Madam Speaker, the second point is about education and the issue of inspection for service delivery. We have a school in Manyogaseeka Subcounty, St Mary Goretti Seed Secondary School, which was constructed and was supposed to have been commissioned in 2021, but up to now it has never been commissioned. Why? It has cracks in the walls and on the floors. When we went to inspect it, the contractors were saying that they could not -

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have listened to both reports and much as we have some common ground in the majority report, I would like to side with the minority report, reason being that - yes, DDA should not be merged with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries. In my area, we have cattle keepers in Musozi and Manyogaseka Sub counties is a cattle keeping corridor so I know issues of dairy as well. The reason why I am standing up is because cattle keepers in Kassanda District are still complaining that up to now - By the way, up to now, Kassanda District is still quarantined and our cattle cannot move because of Kalusu . What is Kalusu ? – (Interjections) - That one. Thank you very much. That means that we still have challenges but the cattle keepers in my area complain that up to now, the Ministry of Agriculture has failed to get for them the right medicine for dipping their cattle.

Of course, with the festive season approaching, this threat is real because people will be moving from one place to the other. Yes, Kassanda -

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker, for that communication and request to the minister to come through and give clear guidelines. I have been interacting with my community and I have found cases in Kassanda and I had no answer, as a Member of Parliament. The families are there with conditions of mpox and - (Interjection) - What are you saying? Yes, the conditions are there within our communities. Therefore, the earlier we get communication, first of all, on how to handle and protect ourselves, the better. The Ministry of Health should really come out clearly and help. IN THE PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA Official Report of the Proceedings of Parliament FOURTH SESSION - 28TH SITTING - 1ST MEETING Parliament met at 1.59 p.m. in the Parliament House, Kampala. PRAYERS (The Speaker, Ms Anita Among, in the Chair.) The House was called to order. COMMUNICATION FROM THE CHAIR

14901 THE ELEVENTH PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA THURSDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2024 It is in Kamuli Subcounty in Kassanda where I found about three families with the same condition. I did not know how it was transmitted or how to even help the community. Therefore, I think you are very right, Madam Speaker, on that.

It is good for us to understand from Members what is happening in their areas. For instance, I did not expect it to be in Kassanda. You get it? So, let us allow Members to -

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. I am a teacher of English language and Literature in English and I taught for close to nine years at Namilyango College and Our Lady of Good Counsel, Gayaza. So, these are issues of ‘Generals’ of us; the teachers, today, not the other generals. I just wanted to say that. I want to appreciate all the teachers around the world, especially teachers in Uganda because I know that despite the fact that they are teaching, there are also certain conditions that are terribly unfair to them but they are working. We appreciate them and I appreciate the Ministry of Education and Sports for what they are doing for the teachers. However, we have some challenges which we need to address; the very first challenge - I add my voice to the discrepancies that are in the teachers’ salaries right now as we speak. Teachers in my community in Kassanda - as I was with them, because we celebrated World Teachers’ Day as a district - they mentioned that some of their staff members; the arts teachers have sold their ATMs to science teachers because of loans. So, it is the science teachers who are controlling the Arts teachers’ salaries because they do not have money. Whenever they get the little pay that they have, the science teachers automatically take the money because they are paying back the loans, leaving them with nothing. That means that their situation, especially when it comes to looking after their families, is dire. When it comes to welfare, teachers are teaching children who are hungry, but teachers are even hungrier than the children that they are teaching. You find that at lunch time, we have staff that are not getting food. And for some that can afford the food, they are eating posho and beans which are also in a terrible state. So, they were complaining about that welfare as well. Can we find a way to improve staff welfare? MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

14861 THE ELEVENTH PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA WEDNESDAY, 16 OCTOBER 2024 I also know that teachers have poor, deplorable living conditions. There are certain schools we visited in Kassanda - teachers’ quarters - they are living as if they are prisoners; even prisoners I think have - (Member timed out.)

Honourable minister, I am talking with experience. I have a school and when students were being examined, I am told one student said, “For me, I am better in swimming.” Good enough I have a swimming pool. What about others? When the child was taken, the child was very excellent in swimming. What about other schools in Kassanda, Kyotera and Gomba?

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I want to thank the committee for introducing a transition period. We just want to have a break and throw away these agencies. Yes, I support rationalisation 100 per cent but how about the projects? What about the laws that are needed to be amended as stated by the report here? Hon. Muwanga-Kivumbi, Kassanda District was created in 2015. We became a district in 2018. Members of Parliament sat here and said that in 2018, we shall create a district called Kassanda. So, even this can happen, to say this agency will stop working in three years. I see no problem having a transition where proper closure of an agency can be done. Madam Speaker, we have a very big problem. I wanted to raise this earlier when we were talking about roads. At the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) that you are talking about, everyone is seated because they do not know what is going to happen. We are going into elections next year, and so, we should create a transition period that can assure these people who work there to think thus: “At least for this period I have a job and I can do my work.” At Uganda Road Fund, everyone is seated because they do not know what is happening. The roads are breaking down. So, we need to guarantee that transition period for people to know that for this period they will be moving in this direction. Thank you, Chairperson, for the report.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. My matter of national importance concerns Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) roads in my constituency and I suspect it affects others. From the time the Rationalisation of Government Agencies and Public Expenditure (RAPEX) Bills were introduced a year ago, UNRA has not been facilitated to work on our roads, particularly in Bukuya, the gold city, where we have a lot of gold and we are also a food basket. Roads connecting Bukuya to Kyankwanzi and also Myanzi to Kiboga are in very bad shape. We are struggling to do business, but it has also affected children going to school. We are even worried that though in the interim, UNRA has not, when it goes, what is going to happen? The Minister of Works and Transport is around now. The money was passed in the budget, but nothing is taking place. We are in a terrible situation. My prayer, Mr Speaker, is that the money we appropriated to go to UNRA be given to the Authority to be doing the work in the meantime, as we wait for rationalisation to take place. If it is not possible, let the Minister of Works and Transport come to Bukuya, particularly Kassanda District - we do not even have a centimetre of tarmac - to come and take over our roads and we support RAPEX in full swing when we know that we are going to benefit. Thank you.

Madam Speaker, Dr Michael Bukenya from the “gold city” of Bukuya in Kassanda, Buganda Region.

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for balancing the boat. Thank you very much, committee chairperson, for the report. On the key issues that I see in Kassanda District regarding this project, the first one is that the groups got machinery, but we have no transformers. So, we have redundant machinery that is not being utilised because there are no transformers. There is no power to operate the machines. For example, we have Myanzi Maize Millers and Kassanda. Those two have totally failed to start off and the group members are just looking at the machinery. My recommendation would be – because they cannot co-fund and they utilised the money that was given to them and they cannot bring on board more money. So, is there a way we can look at financing the transformer so that the machines can take off? Finally, there is the disbursement of grants to some beneficiaries. Some beneficiaries got funds, used them for other things and were unable to utilise them on the things they were supposed to. Bukuya Cooperative is one of those examples. We have issues with them, and I do not know whether you were able to reach Kassanda. I have not seen that you reached Kassanda to monitor the groups there. It would be good to also pass by and see what we can do there. Finally, I think – (Member timed out.)

lhtnc Ol Dl.trlctr Kakumu'o Krbaale Kagadl Kassanda Mubende hrryandongo Horma lilkuub€ Meslndr Rukrga 168,701,150 Arua 207,900,000 TOTAL l9,8a6,OO?,S49 E .ra s Clurt r Cutluhtlec DlrbEt|cnctrt (uoxl 440,615,386 350,962,7s0 366,240,538 24O,707 342 178,500,000 478,215,000 377,772,464 10 349,4t6,766 345,575,083 574,201,OO0 Bushenln Ntungaeo 91 r,645,600 329,597,S00 lt 261,568,000 s65,750,O00 595,002,833 326,923,833 135,505,O0l Ismgrro Kabale Rubanda Nebbr Pakwach Yumbe 120,801,O0O Maracha L2 N

4.1,5 COUFOf,EI{T FOIrR: COORDIIATIOI{, UAIAGEUEI{t AIID ICT PLAAFOR The objectrvc of thrs component ls to provrdc support servrces to the thrcc tech ca.l components and rs responstble for thc coordmatron and management of the proJect at natronal, clustcr and dlstnct level Th€ component anms at - 1 Frnancrng thc rncrcmental op€ratrng costs for the prolccts 2 Undertakmg monrtorrng and evaluatlon actrvltles and tmpact evaluatron studres 3 Developrng and lmplemenhng web-based, gco-tagged ICT platforms for leamrng, knowledge management and stakeholder's fcedback UllIF rct)ortcd thrt rr rt .ruly 2C12, thct hrd undcrtrhea thc followlng: Frvc (OS) ICT systems had been developed and were at the field deptolment stage The ICT sotutrons support collcctron, storage, and drsscmlnatron of productron, chmate, rnarket, and advlsory rnformatron to Agnculture sector stakeholders Ihe servrces offered under thLrs component rncludc, ltrc e-voucher managcment system by MCash (financral rnclusron platform) MAAIF reportcd that thrs q'as berng used to supply mputs to farmcrs n seasons 20228 The e-extensron system Thls enables access to extensron adnsorres by farmers and the e-dEry componcnt ls for monrtonng ofcxtensron workers The Commlttee was rnformed by MAAIF that e-drary functlon had bccn deptoyed rn 16 drstncts The drstncts are, Kyotera, Kabale, lsrngro, Bushenyr, Krkuube, Klryandongo, Masrndr, Horma, Kagadl, Kyegegwa, Krbaale, Kassanda, Krkumuro, Mubende, KyenlonJo. Kuml, Serere, Sorou, Kapochorwa, Bukwo, Mba.le, Palhsa, Butebo, Namutumba, Iganga, Bugvren, Bugrn, Kalungu, Mprg, Masaka ttee, 36 o

You are debating in anticipation. Honourable members, as I said, I am going to read the President’s letter. The letter is addressed to the Right Honourable Speaker, Parliament of Uganda, Kampala. It is dated 22 June 2024. The Reference is: “Budget Reallocation by Parliament.” The letter reads: “The recent case of the Members of Parliament that were arrested for some alleged offences has again highlighted the mistake of Members of Parliament interfering with the constitutional mandate of the President of budgeting for the Country by reallocating monies budgeted for the core sectors of the economy. In the last four financial years, the Members of Parliament have reallocated a total of Shs 3.71 trillion. This is real sabotage. When we reconstructed the Kampala-Masaka Road, we used Shs 440 billion. Therefore, diverting Shs 3.71 trillion in four years is equivalent to aborting nine big roads of the Kampala-Masaka type, or a much larger number of smaller roads. You know very well the important roads that we have been struggling with. You have seen how much the Tirinyi-Pallisa- Kumi Road has helped the people of the area by avoiding the need to pass through Mbale City when they are travelling to Soroti. You have seen how the Musita-Mayuge- Namayingo-Busia Road has helped the people of that area. You have seen how the Mukono- Katosi-Nkokonjeru-Nyenga Road has helped the people of that area. Yet, for the Tirinyi- Palisa-Kumi Road, we used Shs 443.42 billion only. How much happier would Ugandans be, if we had tarmacked the Kumi-Ngora-Serere- Bugondo Road; the Soroti-Amuria-Acan Pii- Patongo-Abim Road; the Kanoni-Mityana Road; the Myanzi-Kassanda-BukuyaKiboga Road; the Ssembabule-Lyantonde-Rakai Road; the Luwero-Butalaangwa-Ngoma–Masindi Road; the Bwizibweera-Nsiika-Nyakabirizi Road; the Nakivaale-Rakai Road; the Fort Portal-Kijura Road, etc.? I have written on this issue - see my letter dated 28th April 2020. The Attorney-General has guided on the matter. The courts have guided, yet the practice goes on. There are three mistakes involved here and these are: (i) Indiscipline in budgeting; (ii) Sabotaging national priorities; (iii) And now the suspicion of massive corruption. I am, therefore, writing to request that this practice stops. As per Article 91(3)(c) of the Constitution of 1995, I decline to assent to the Appropriation Bill, 2024 and return it to Parliament, and request that no reshuffling of the Budget should ever happen again without the input of the Executive. Apart from the legality and constitutionality of the issues involved, there is common sense. Sprinkling money by MPs to get cheap popularity in constituencies will make us lose to focus on core items. How can patriots be part of this mistake? Signed by the President, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.”

Thank you, Madam Speaker. In accordance with Rules 187 and 188 of the Rules of Procedure of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda, I hereby designate the Opposition Members to the sectoral committees as follows: Committee on Finance, Planning and Economic Development: 1. Hon. Hanifa Nabukeera of Mukono District; 2. Hon. Kivumbi Muwanga of Butambala; 3. Hon. Flavia Nabagabe of Kassanda District; 4. Hon. Brenda Nabukenya of Luweero; 5. Hon. Nathan Nandala Mafabi of Budadiri County West; 6. Hon. Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda of Kira Municipality; 7. Hon. Denis Lee Oguzu of Maracha County; 8. Hon. Geofrey Ekanya of Tororo North County; 9. Hon. Richard Sebamala of Bukoto County Central; and 10. Hon. Patrick Ocan of Apac Municipality.

13456 PRESENTATION OF THE BUDGET SPEECH FY 2024/2025 Water, sanitation and environment protection As a result of Government intervention, more Ugandans now have access to safe, clean water. Coverage in rural areas is now estimated at 67 per cent and 70 per cent in urban areas. Out of the 71,225 villages, 56,617 villages have been served with at least one safe water source. In the Financial Year 2024/2025, clean water coverage will increase to 70 per cent and 85 per cent in rural and urban areas respectively. In the rural areas, the target is to reduce the distance to the nearest source of clean and safe water for human and animal consumption to less than one kilometre while in urban areas to less than 500 metres. The following are among the priorities we have budgeted for the next financial year: v. Construction of 52 large solar-powered water supply systems in 19 districts that are currently at less than 50 per cent water coverage. These are - let me mention them; Agago, Yumbe, Amudat, Kaabong, Bulambuli, Buvuma, Buyende, Namayingo, Rakai, Nakaseke, Sembabule, Kibaale, Kasese, Kyegegwa, Mubende, Lyantonde, Kakumiro, Kassanda and Kisoro; vi. Construction of another 15 solar-powered water supply systems in the rural growth centres of Lwentulege, Bugwara, Kabamba, Kikoora, Mwitanzige, Lugala, Kitenga, Bukizibu/Bumwena, Igwaya, Kidera, Bugomolwa, Kitonge - Nakasero, Kikonge, Kasese and Lubaali. This will cover a population of over 272,000 persons; vii. Completion of the construction of 31 town water supply systems and sanitation facilities in Bulangira, Kanapa, Aligoi, Opengate Kawo, Karago, Nyakashaka, Buikwe, Bundibugyo, Kapchorwa, Kamuli, Namasale, Kaliro - Namungalwe, Butaleja–Busolwe, Budaka–Kadama- Tirinyi-Kibuku, Kyankwanzi, Butemba, Ngoma, Lunya, Palabek-Kal (Lamwo), Obongo, Lamwo, Rhino Camp, Arra/ Dufile, Amuru, Kole, Alangi, Zeu, Kakingol, Iriiri and Lorengacora; viii. Construction of 17 rural water supply systems in the refugee hosting districts of Adjumani, Lamwo, Madi-Okollo, Moyo, Terego and Yumbe; ix. Progress of the construction of 26 water supply systems at various stages in Manafwa (now at 80 per cent), Mukura (40 per cent), Kidera (40 per cent), Atutur (40 per cent), Kadungulu (10 per cent), Kaproron (10 per cent), Iyolwa (20 per cent), Bukumi (5 per cent), Rubaya (50 per cent), Bethlehem - Nabigasa, Phase 1 (50 per cent), Kabura - Mwizi Phase 1 (50 per cent), Mabira (50 per cent), Bukiro (50 per cent), Nyabisirira (50 per cent), Bugarama - Karweru (50 per cent), Rwere - Kateretere (50 per cent), Kagarama – Bushura - Kibuzigye (50 per cent), Nyanseke (80 per cent), Busaale (95 per cent), Kibuzi (100 per cent), Adilang, Puranga (Pader), Kasawo, Phase 1 (5 per cent), Kyebando - Kasimbi (5 per cent), Nabilatuk and Losilang; and x. Increasing the water for production storage capacity for commercial farmers from 52.6 million cubic metres to 76.8 million cubic metres. To support the restoration of our environment and reverse the effects of climate change, Government shall undertake the restoration of 42,450 hectares of degraded wetlands along the Awoja, Kandekye - Ruhorobero, Nchwera, Chambura, Kiruruma, Naigombwa, Kibimba, Tochi, Aswa, Sezibwa, Mayanja, Muzizi, Mpanga and Lumbuye water systems. In addition, Government shall demarcate a 720-kilometre boundary with concrete pillars along the following wetlands; Kibimba, Tochi, Sezibwa, Mayanja, Muzizi,Awoja, Mpologoma, Ishasha, Kandekye, Ruhorobero, Nchwera, Chambura, Kiruruma and Naigombwa. A total of 15 million seedlings of assorted tree species shall be procured and distributed to individual farmers in several districts as well as to refugee-

Honourable mem - bers, can I read the districts, which are includ - ed? Hon. Ssekikubo is that okay? With the amounts. Honourable members, listen. Read: Vote 804 – Alebtong District – Shs 848,733,704; Vote 805 – Amolatar District – Shs 220,815,010; Vote 807 – Amuria District – Shs 76,091,072; Vote 811 – Budaka District – Shs 569,774,320; Vote 812 – Bududa District – Shs 871,310,151; Vote 813 – Bugiri District – Shs 80,000,000; Vote 816 –Buikwe District – Shs 634,351,309; Vote 817: Bukedea District - Shs 557,998,824; Vote 818: Bukomansimbi District - Shs 138,976,150; Vote 819: Bukwo District - Shs 3,457,961,447; Vote 820: Bulambuli District – Shs 237,021,273; Vote 823: Bunyangabu District – Shs 371,453,937; Vote 825: Busia District - Shs 2,493,045,786; Vote 830: Buyende District - Shs 325,110,681; Vote 831: Dokolo District – Shs 1,200,052,179; Vote 832: Gomba District – Shs 132,794,807; Vote 834: Hoima District – Shs 663,105,613; Vote 835: Ibanda District - Shs 2,181,084,002; Vote 837: Isingiro District – Shs 3,142,687,738; Vote 838: Jinja District - Shs 2,158,144,238; Vote 840: Kabale District - Shs 122,770,149; Vote 841: Kabarole District – Shs 413,457,210; Vote 842: Kaberamaido District - Shs 1,189,601,445; Vote 846: Kalangala District – Shs 499,303,936; Vote 848: Kalungu District – Shs 1,919,206,727; Vote 851: Kanungu District - Shs 2,355,337,661; Vote 855, Kassanda District – Shs 1,076,055,328; Vote 856: Kasese District - Shs 1,428,572,362; Vote 858: Kayunga District - Shs 886,274,114; Vote 861: Kiboga District – Shs 877,544,449; Vote 862: Kibuku District – Shs 55,309,755; Vote 864: Kiruhura District - Shs 1,272,038,110; Vote 866: Kisoro District – Shs 1,147,709,409; Vote 867: Kitagwenda District – Shs 292,329,260; Vote 868: Kitgum District - Shs 260,346,061; Vote 869: Koboko District – Shs 1,346,133,500; Vote 870: Kole District - Shs 508,409,292; Vote 872: Kumi District - Shs 2,856,532,203; Vote 875: Kyankwanzi District - Shs 280,000,000; Vote 876: Kyegegwa District - Shs 2,218,090,875; Vote 877: Kyenjojo District - Shs 1,050,288,984; Vote 878: Kyotera District - Shs 1,273,322,749; Vote 879: Lamwo District - Shs 403,256,222; Vote 881: Luuka District - Shs 931,990,097; Vote 882: Luwero District - Shs 5,365,516,069; Vote 883: Lwengo District – Shs 1,967,438,860; Vote 884: Lyantonde District - Shs 253,488,082; Vote 885: Madi-Okollo District - Shs 676,404,553; Vote 887: Maracha District – Shs 416,761,385; Vote 889: Masindi District – Shs 84,336,637; Vote 890: Mayuge District – Shs 930,316,165; Vote 891: Mbale District – Shs 1,720,742,693; Vote 892: Mbarara District - Shs 455,148,176; Vote 893: Mitooma District - Shs 505,896,701; Vote 894: Mityana District - Shs 471,519,063; Vote 895: Moroto District – Shs 165,753,246; Vote 896: Moyo District - Shs 1,293,741,625; Vote 899: Mukono District – Shs 2,529,351,767; Vote 900: Nabilatuk District – Shs 1,252,915,918; Vote 901: Nakapiripirit District – Shs 30,000,000; Vote 902: Nakaseke District – Shs 933,060,184; [Mr Ekanya] THE SUPPLEMENTARY EXPENDITURE SCHEDULE NO.2

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I really admire your approach to issues, especially when you say that the walk should not be concentrated in Kampala and such other areas, but we should take it where the issues are. In the list of your examples, I would have got happier if you mentioned Karamoja, Kassanda, Mubende and Kyamuhunga. Why those areas? Those areas have gold and after picking out the gold, the gold miners leave the ponds full of water, which are breeding grounds for mosquitoes. While we are walking against malaria here, other people are helping mosquitoes to breed and multiply. I appeal to the ministry in charge of minerals to put a law, follow up and monitor that when gold is extracted, these ponds are covered to eliminate mosquito breeding. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I think it will be appropriate - last time you gave us hope that the President was going to sit on this matter and complete it. The minister is here giving us hope that there is a meeting that is going on. That is good news because we want our traders to continue trading. As you return, honourable minister, come with information to us. One, what is the cost this country incurs every day the traders close their shops in terms of tax collection? You might come back here and tell us, “We will resolve this next week.” If you could inform us about the impact of every day’s closure - what is the cost in terms of tax collection, what is the cost in terms of doing business in the country? Lastly, this would be the time where we see ministers, especially the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and the Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives sensitising the public about what is going on. Madam Speaker, on television and radio, they come, but the information they give out is not proper, especially to the trader in the village, Kassanda. They do not know about IFRIS. When it comes to closing of shops, they also ask, “Should we also close?” Everyone is going to close without proper information. Therefore, I want to plead with you. This is the time - morning, evening, every minute - to inform the public what they need to know about what is going on and what Government is doing about it. Thank you.

Member from Kassanda?

I thank you, Mr Speaker. My question to the Rt Hon. Prime Minister is about the status of the procurement of the road units for Kassanda District. Since Kassanda District was formed, we have been under a serious lack of road units. We used to borrow from Mubende but they no longer assist us. We used to borrow from Mityana, but we can no longer access due to the country-wide need because of the heavy rains which will be the same situation soon. So, we need to know about the status so that we can update our people about the status of the procurement of the road units in Kassanda.

Mr Speaker and colleagues, the 16 new districts- there are machines which are already in the country. We are only going to commission them after bringing others because they are not a complete unit and the Minister of Works can testify to this. Be patient, Kassanda is going to be handled.

11581 THE ELEVENTH PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA THURSDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 2024 Introduction Mr Speaker, FMD is a highly contagious viral disease that affects all cloven-hoofed (two hoofed) animals. These include cattle, goats, sheep, pigs and wild animals such as buffaloes, deers and antelopes. The disease spreads very fast, through close contact between infected and non-infected animals. The disease is transmitted through aerosols (fluid droplets) breathed out by infected animals and contact with affected surfaces. The aerosols can be transported by wind to far areas. The affected animals get wounds in the mouth, feet and teats in female animals. FMD is the most dreaded disease in international trade of animals and animal products. Countries that have eradicated the disease do not allow trade with affected countries, or those that control the disease by vaccination. The disease causes significant economic losses to the farmers and to the country due to disruption in animal production, productivity and in trade of animal and animal products. Scientists and economists have estimated the economic cost of FMD to a farmer per unit livestock to be $20 per infection. The cost can be higher with repeated infections. Our target, therefore, as Government, is to not only control the disease but eradicate it. Mr Speaker, the ideal situation that enables any livestock producing country to fully control and eradicate FMD requires the following interventions: i) Undertaking a bi-annual compulsory vaccination exercise of the entire susceptible animal herd in the country (all two hoofed animals; cattle, sheep, goats and pigs). For purposes of universal coverage, compliance and bio-security considerations (since vaccines are live organisms), governments normally offer the vaccines as a public good. This, however, varies from country to country, depending on the number of animals and the budget implications for buying the vaccines recurrently. ii) Another control and eradication approach is the “test and slaughter” followed by safe disposal of the carcasses (burning and/or burying). When the veterinary authorities confirm the outbreak, they determine the affected animals and those at risk for destruction. This, however, is followed with compensation by the government, which is a very expensive practice. This is the practice in developed livestock-producing countries like the United Kingdom, among others. You kill or destroy, but compensate the farmer. iii) In addition to the above, movement control restrictions (quarantine) are always imposed either in part or as a whole in the affected geographical location depending on the epidemiological assessment by the competent authorities. The competent authorities, Mr Speaker, are veterinary authorities. These animal movement restrictions, however, are temporary measures to disrupt transmission but their duration depends on the discipline and compliance of the different stakeholders (farmers, traders, processors and enforcement agencies) and also on the country’s ability to implement interventions (i) and (ii) above. Current situation in the country Mr Speaker, there are 36 districts currently affected and under quarantine. These are; Budaka, Bukedea, Bukomansimbi, Bunyangabu, Butaleja, Fort Portal City, Gomba, Ibanda, Isingiro, Kabarole, Kassanda, Kayunga, Kazo, Kiboga, Kibuku, Kiruhura, Kumi, Kyankwanzi, Kyegegwa, Kyotera, Luuka, Lwengo, Lyantonde, Mbarara, Mbarara City, Mityana, Mpigi, Mubende, Nakaseke, Nakasongola, Namisindwa, Ngora, Ntungamo, Rakai, Rwampara and Ssembabule. All districts neighbouring the aforementioned districts are at high risk, under strict surveillance and the authorities are advised to remain vigilant. These include; Apac, Amolatar, Bugiri, Bushenyi, Butaleja, Hoima, Iganga, Jinja, Kabale, Kaberamaido, Kaliro, Kamuli,

Thank you. Honourable colleagues, I saw the letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries and I saw the districts of Budaka, Bukedea, Bukomansimbi, Butaleja, Fort Portal City, Gomba, Isingiro, Kabarole, Kassanda, Kayunga, Kazo, Kiruhura, Kumi, Kyankwanzi, Kyegegwa, Kyotera, Luuka, Lwengo, Lyantonde, Mbarara, Mityana, Mpigi, Mubende, Nakaseke, Nakasongola, Ntungamo, Rakai, Rwampara - This is what I was talking about: when you have such interventions, use a platform of Parliament to engage because these Members of Parliament will be questioned in their constituencies and they will be stuck. As Parliament, you do not want to have a situation whereby one day, you will be accused of fighting Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). We put a quarantine, Parliament came and stopped it and therefore, we allowed it and it went on. This is why I felt that it would be imperative for the minister to bring a statement here and then we debate it and put him on the spot-on issues of the law and what he would have told us here. But then again the urgency of it - I know some of these districts depend on cows and their children are going back to school. What are we going to do about it? Honourable colleagues, are we going to resolve that go and lift the quarantine so that people sell cows and you cause another crisis? You know! It is better we have ministers here and they give us clear information. Hon. Kivumbi, do you want to guide on the same? COMMUNICATION FROM THE CHAIR

Honourable colleagues, you can now see where the problem comes from. If we operate by letters coming from technical people to technical people without engaging the community, we will fall into such a situation. So, because of the urgency of this matter, I had given two weeks but let the Minister, on Thursday bring a statement to this effect. I will dedicate a whole hour for us to handle this matter so that all of you can contribute. I see Members from Kiruhura, Amolatar and Kassanda, and Hon. Koluo, all wanted to speak. Let us do it that way on Thursday. Otherwise, Rt Hon. Prime Minister, please ensure this is done. Honourable colleagues, I had some issues but I realised most of them can easily fall into the debate for BFP. So, I will carry it on from there. Next item. BILLS FIRST READING THE CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2023

Madam Speaker, on the Committee on Human Rights, I designate the following colleagues: 1. Hon. Shamim Malende- Woman Representative, Kampala; 2. Hon. Francis Zaake - Mityana Municipality; 3. Hon. Muhammad Ssegirinya - Kawempe Division North; 4. Hon. Flavia Nabagabe - Woman Rep. Kassanda; and 5. Hon. Allan Mayanja - Nakaseke Central County; 6. Hon. Anna Adeke - Soroti; 7. Hon. Tom Ekudo - Geri County; 8. Hon Geofrey Okello - Nwoya East County, Nwoya; 9. Hon. Jonathan Odur - Erute South, Lira; and 10. Hon. Eunice Atuko Apio - Oyam North. I beg to designate, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. There is an impression that was made here for the first loan for the backbone where $ 100 million - it was communicated to this House that all districts would be covered at that time. There are continuous loans for the backbone - an impression has been given to this House that we are covering the last district. Would it be procedurally correct that the minister supplies this House today with the list of the different phases - which districts were covered in phases I and II so that the honourable members do not just get excited about a communication made by the minister here? We then process a loan knowing that - you know that Kassanda is part of the districts that will be covered and every Member goes back knowing that my district was –(Interruption)

Excuse me, young people, first come back, please. I did not want the leaders of Uganda to leave without being recognised. In the public gallery, this afternoon are pupils and teachers of Albert Cook Memorial School from Kassanda District, represented by Hon. Patrick Nsamba Oshabe. Please stand up. Your Member of Parliament is around. He is always very busy but he is a good Member. They are also represented by Hon. Nabagabe Kalule Flavia. Thank you very much for coming and come again. Join me in welcoming them. (Applause)

Mr Speaker, on 18 November 2023, the country received the sad news of the passing on of Hon. Joyce Rovincer Mpanga who was a renowned Educationist, Women Rights Activist, Community Worker and Veteran Politician among the few outstanding women who served in the Legislative Council (LEGCO). Hon. Joyce Rovincer Mpanga was born on 22 January 1933 in Kassanda District, which was by then part of the Greater Mubende District. She attended Ndejje High School, which was later demoted to Nalinya Lwantale Primary School. She then later transferred to Gayaza High School in 1946 where she also served as a Head Girl. In 1958, she graduated from Makerere College University, the present day Makerere University where she was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree having studied History, Geography and English. She later went to the University of London for a Bachelor of Arts and Indiana University Bloomington for her Masters of Science in 1962. The late Hon. Joyce Rovincer Mpanga became the third girl in East Africa to attain a University degree and the first Ugandan woman to win a US Fulbright Scholarship. This inspired many young females to strive for admission at Makerere University and later thought of affirmative action at public universities. She began her professional career in the education sector as a teacher at Makerere College School and later also served as a Deputy Headmistress of Gayaza High School in 1962. After the National Resistance Movement took over Government in 1986, Hon. Joyce Rovincer Mpanga became Uganda’s first Minister of Women in Development in 1988 and then State Minister for Primary Education until 1991. In 1996, Hon. Joyce Mpanga contested for Member of Parliament and won to represent the people of Mubende District. She served her people with dedication during her term from 1996 to 2001. She was a dedicated leader, an advocate of women equality who diligently served her country. Her enduring dedication to public service was further evident in her role as a member of the Buganda Kingdom Lukiiko , where she continued to advocate for the interests of her community. In 2019, she authored a book titled “It’s a Pity She’s Not a Boy” in which she came out strongly to inspire rural girls, emphasising that their aspirations hold immense value, irrespective of their humble beginnings. This showed unwavering commitment to empowering young women and girls to better citizens. She also served as an executive board member of the National Council of Women, as a founding member of Uganda Women’s Efforts to Save Orphans (UWESO) and as a chairperson of the NGO Board. The late Joyce Mpanga was a wife to Andrew Fredrick Mpanga, who by the time of their marriage in 1965, was the Attorney-General of Buganda under Kabaka Mutesa II. She was the mother to lawyer and author, David Fredrick Kisitu Mpanga, Peter Mpanga, a former Private Secretary to the Kabaka , George Mpanga, a poet podcast living in the United Kingdom, and Lydia Anne Zawedde Nabitalo Mpanga Sebuyira, an Assistant Professor at the University of Washington. Other children include; Naava Eva Naluyimba, Stephen Wasswa Mpanga, Grace Joyce Nakato Mutesasira, Edward Wasswa Ssenoga Mpanga and Michael Kato Mpanga. We extend our sincere sympathies and deep condolences to the family, relatives and the country at large. May her soul rest in eternal peace. I beg to submit.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I come from Mubende, where the late served as a woman MP. By then, Mubende was still one bloc before Mityana and Kassanda districts were created. I think Kiboga had already been curved out and it was Mityana, Kassanda and now, Mubende. I join the rest of the mourners, both nationally and worldwide, to mourn the demise of our great leader and mentor who did great work in our district. She is remembered for mentoring many into active politics, especially women, both at local and national levels. She was a consultant for everyone. If you are to research and read any article about Mubende, you will find her name on every page, if not, on every paragraph. We appreciate her. When we heard of the sad news, people in the entire area went into mourning, especially those who worked with her and some of us who have just joined politics. At the time she came here as a woman MP, some of us were young; I was in Senior One. We have read about her and associated with people who served with or were mentored by her. Her work was great. Mr Speaker, not only Mubende people but the entire nation should appreciate the family that brought her up and nurtured her to prepare her to serve this nation before even Independence. As Maama Cecilia Ogwal was speaking, we learned a lot from her and we need to appreciate her. Such great families should be appreciated. We thank her for serving the nation and not forgetting the family. She has left behind a great family, which we should appreciate and learn from. As leaders, we give our time to other things and sometimes forget our families. As you serve the nation, we should plan for our families. Her history is rich and a great lesson to leaders.

Thank you. Honourable members, in the Public Gallery this afternoon, we have pupils and teachers from St Gregory Kibale Junior School from Namutumba District. They are represented in this Parliament by Hon. Mariam Naigaga. You are most welcome. Please, stand up. (Applause) Welcome to Parliament of Uganda. Thank you very much for coming. Still in the Public Gallery, we have teachers and pupils from Kiribedda Green Valley Primary School. They come from Kassanda, represented by Dr Michael Bukenya, Hon. Kabuye and Hon. Flavia Nabagabe. You are most welcome. Where are you? Thank you for coming. (Applause) We also have a delegation of executive committee members of Agago North Civil Servants Development Association, Agago North County; they are represented by Hon. John Amos Okot and Hon. Beatrice Akello. Where are you? You are most welcome and thank you for sending us these members of Parliament. (Applause) Hon. Amos Okot, stand up. (Laughter) This is your member of Parliament.

10802 STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS 88. Kassanda District Local Government; 89. Lyantonde District Local Government; 90. Kalangala District Local Government; 91. Bukomansimbi District Local Government; 92. Ssembabule District Local Government; 93. Mubende District Local Government; 94. Mubende Municipal Council; 95. Rakai District Local Government; 96. Lwengo District Local Government; and 97. Kyotera District Local Government.” I beg to move, Mr Speaker.

Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. Honourable colleagues, I have seen an aspect of Parliament being asked a lot of questions and the Leader of the Opposition will join me in answering them because he is a senior leader in Parliament. (Laughter) When I checked our records of Parliament, we have given time to issues of human rights. - I have heard some Members saying “No, they do not consider issues of human rights”. On 18 August 2022, the House considered and debated the report of our own Committee on Human Rights on the status of human rights and human rights violations in the country. It was a 150-page report and Parliament gave it time. We debated it, gave it attention and adopted the resolutions. On 8 February 2022, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs was given space on the Order Paper to present a statement here on reports of alleged human rights violations by the State security operatives. The issues of torture were extensively handled and this is on the Hansard . On 7 July 2023, again, Hon. Flavia Nabagabe – yes, I am a Mukiga and I do not know much Luganda. So, I might sound like a Mukiga, but this was the Woman Member of Parliament for Kassanda District - she, raised the issue of human rights and torture, which came up in the international delegation. In fact, Hon. Cecilia Ogwal was the one who gave good guidance and we discussed this issue. On 18 July 2023, the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Mathias Mpuuga, gave his response to the State-of-the-Nation Address and took a human rights approach. We had an extensive debate on this. On 3 August 2022, the Leader of the Opposition was again given an opportunity to respond to the State-of-the-Nation Address and issues of human rights were again raised and debated. On 28 September 2022, the Leader of the Opposition raised matters of forced disappearances and torture of civilians by security operatives, which was responded to. I think some of the matters are issues, which we are trying to work out outside and the minister will update us on it. When you look at some of these occasions - in this time alone, I do not think that it would be right to indict Parliament that we have not given space to issues of human rights. We have given them space; the Hansard is there and the record is very clear. Honourable colleagues, the issue is that Parliament has where it stops. I do not know whether I can order Parliament because I have over 500 Members of Parliament. I think I should order each one of you to arrest one of these Generals and soldiers. I will assign you

10672 STATEMENT BY THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION Since 2018, a number of milestones to actualise the proposed Government development at Bwebajja by both NSSF’s design consultant and the Government Contract Management Consultant (CMC) have been registered. These include: the Project Development Agreement, which places an obligation on NSSF to procure a design consultant to preliminary develop conceptual designs to form the blueprint for the Government campus, which is subject to review and approval by the Government of Uganda. To-date, NSSF procured, M/S Dar Al- Handasah Shair and Partners, in association with Creations Consult Africa Ltd. So far, the consultant has developed the inception report, which was approved by the project implementation team in its meeting held on 25 July 2023. The CMC further reviewed and raised comments on the Comprehensive Project Management Plan (CPMP) and the Built- Up Area (BUA) schedule from the design consultant, and is yet to review other project documents. It is important to note that the construction works of the campus will commence in 2025, and will last for four years. After the construction, the Government will occupy the campus. The design consultant has provided, in their submission to the Office of the President, an order of cost estimate for each design option and clarified that the mentioned construction budget of the project in the Terms of Reference (TORs) requires revision to meet the latest escalation in construction market prices so as to be able to achieve the Government aspirations for the targeted design level of the project. Mr Speaker, in light of the above, NSSF and the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development are re-examining the cost variables of the financial model. The details of this can be availed by the Ministry of Finance Planning, and Economic Development. The second question was from the Hon. Patrick Nsamba Oshabe. He raised a matter concerning the discontinuation of the construction of the power line from Kassanda-Kabulubutu- Wakayiba with a T-off to Bbinikira and Nakatete villages in Kassanda North County. His questions are: (i) Can the Prime Minister inform the House of the cause of the discontinuation of the construction of the power line? (ii) When does the ministry intend to resume and complete works on the power line to enable the people of Kassanda North County to have access to power supply? My response, Mr Speaker, is that the Government of Uganda, through the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development contracted Muttico Technical Services Limited for the construction of the engineering, procurement, construction of medium voltage networks, installation of distribution of transformers and association low voltage networks in the various regions of the country for eight lots. Lot 1 includes Mubende, Mityana, Kabarole and Kyegegwa District. The contract was signed on 6 June 2019. The scope of work includes areas of Kabulubutu, Kikandwa Wakayiba with a T-off to Bbinikira, Nakatete in Kassanda North County. To-date, the progress on the project is summarised as follows: in Kabulubutu, pole erection is complete, conductor stringing is also complete, but transformer installation is pending. In Kikandwa, pole erection is complete, conductor stringing is complete, but transformer installation is pending. In Wakayiba, Nakatete, Bbinikira Trading Centre all have poles erected. The conductor stringing is done too and the only pending civil works is the installation of the transformer. [Ms Nabbanja] PRIME MINISTER’S TIME

10673 THE ELEVENTH PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA THURSDAY, 19 OCTOBER 2023 Mr Speaker, the works are 80 per cent complete in Kassanda North County though majorly pending transformer installation that were scheduled to be commissioned by 15 June 2023. However, there were delays caused by the following, and I would like Members to note of them: 1. Rampant vandalism of the completed works – People stole wires; 2. Wayleave issues along Bbinikira T-off; 3. Disruption of the supply chain conductors, cables and related accessories and transformers due to escalated prices; and 4. Cash flow challenges of the contractor. Therefore, the ministry has undertaken the following measures to ensure completion of the civil works: 1. Multi-sector vandalism committee was set up to curb vandalism, which has enabled robust coordination with security agencies; and 2. Procurement of the contractor to complete the works is under way. Mr Speaker, it is planned that the works will be completed by June 2024. The Government, through the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, is committed to expediting the completion of the electrification project for the social economic transformation of the people of Kassanda. The third question was raised by Hon. Etuka Isaac Joakino, Member of Parliament, Upper Madi County, Madi-Okollo District. He gave a long preamble, which I am going to read. It reads, “ Rt Hon. Prime Minister, I, and the Ma’di Okollo District Local Government had several back-and-forth engagements with the Minister of Water and Environment to provide urgent water solutions to the water- stressed areas in upper Ma’di County, to no avail. Rt Hon. Prime Minister, in the villages listed below, the occupants leave their beds between 2.00-4.00 a.m. to go and search for dirty water in the water collection caves where they compete for water with dangerous reptiles like snakes and pythons. Annually, we lose between five to 10 young women, mothers, and school going children in Upper Ma’di County to snake bites in search of dirty water. In June 2023, a 13-year-old son to Alioni Vincent, a one Abiyo of Eyii Primary School, was bitten by a snake while he went to collect water to wash his uniform and died instantly. May his soul rest in eternal peace. Rt Hon. Prime Minister, you are aware that in some regions, some people are advocating for water for animals and Government is investing heavily to provide water for irrigation and livestock, which is very good for the economic development of this country, but at the very painful expense of denying clean water sources to the human beings in Upper Ma’di and other parts of the country that are still crying and striving to survive on dirty water. The National Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy XXI, states that ‘the State shall take all practical measures to promote a good water management system at all levels.’ Objective XII(ii) on balanced and equitable development states that ‘the State shall take necessary measures to bring about balanced development of different areas of Uganda and between the rural and urban areas.’ In light of the water crisis in Upper Ma’di County, this remains a leap in constitutional provision”. His question is: what are the Government plans in providing the supply of water to water- stressed areas in Okollo Subcounty, Upper Ma’di County, Madi-Okollo District. Mr Speaker, my response is that, the Ministry of Water and Environment, through the Integrated Water Management and Development Project (IWMDP) has planned to implement Nyagak Water Supply and Sanitation System with financing from the World Bank, as you are aware.

10674 STATEMENT BY THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION The procurement process for the contractor is in advanced stages, the contract is expected to be signed by December 2023 and works shall commence in January 2024. Mr Speaker, Nyagak Water Supply and Sanitation System (WSS) is designed to serve five sub-counties in Madi-Okollo District including Okollo, Anyiribu, Offaka, Ogoko, Pawor as well as lnde Town Council. Those are 2l parishes in the above sub-counties and 57 villages. The system is targeting a current population of 42,900 people in the five sub-counties as of 2022 and a projected population of 80,655 people by 2042 - you know we are still around. Particularly in Okollo Subcounty, the Nyagak Water Supply and Sanitation System will serve four parishes of Ajibu, Okollo, Onyomu, Baito, and l6 villages in these four parishes. In the parish of Onyomu kati, the following villages will be served by the water supply system: Pamvara, Baiyia, Madeli, Ajuimuni, Adribu, Endebu, Ajibu and Onyomu kati; and in the parish of Ajibu the two villages of Ayio and Cinya, which have been without water sources, will also be served. Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Water and Environment, under the Directorate of Water Development, has undertaken and continues to plan various activities across the country with the objective to increase access to safe and clean water supply in the rural and urban areas while ensuring availability of at least one source per village to promote improved sanitation with the aim of providing a water source in every village, as directed by His Excellency, the President. To-date, the rural water coverage in the country is at 68 per cent and the number of villages with at least one safe water source, is at 70 per cent. In particular, the safe water coverage in Madi-Okollo District is at 67 per cent and 71 per cent of the villages in Madi-Okollo, have at least one safe water source. The Ministry of Water and Environment allocated a total of Shs 3 billion to Madi-Okollo District for Water and Sanitation Services, for the period 2019/2020 to 2023/2024. From this allocation, Shs 2.95 billion was for water supply and Shs 69 million for sanitation and hygiene promotion using the District Water and Sanitation Development Conditional Grant to the local governments. Next question, Mr Speaker came from the Hon. Kalule Flavia Nabagabe, District Woman Representative, Kassanda District. She stated as follows: “Rt Hon. Prime Minister, Kassanda Health Centre IV is sicker than the patients that are there. We do not have any ambulance and have a general ward that suffocates both men, women and children, with very tiny cubicles. We do not have enough blood and have low- staffing levels.” Her Prayers are: i. Provide a bigger solar system for the health centre because currently midwives are using torches to deliver babies; ii. Can we also be provided with funds to build a general ward that separates men, women and children? and iii. Can the Government provide an ambulance to Kassanda Health Centre lV? Mr Speaker, my response is as that; The Government of Uganda received funding from the World Bank (Credit with a grant) to extend the grid and distribution lines and also power social infrastructure. Part of the funds were allocated to electrify health facilities (social infrastructure). Kassanda Health Centre lV is one of the beneficiary facilities to receive robust solar systems to power the facility. This will include: 1. 12.96 kWp Centralised PV System for the medical buildings; 2. Compound Lighting; and 3. Powering staff houses. [Ms Nabbanja] PRIME MINISTER’S TIME

10675 THE ELEVENTH PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA THURSDAY, 19 OCTOBER 2023 Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Health has updated its specifications and only allows robust solar systems that can work up to a minimum of l5 years. A few facilities that have so for benefited and the systems have been installed and commissioned, are as follows; 1. Kiboga - Bukomero Health Centre IV; 2. Kazo - Kazo Health Centre IV; 3. Buhweju - Nsika Health Centre IV; 4. Kamwenge - Rukunyu Government Hospital; 5. Kakumiro - Kakumiro Health Centre IV; 6. Omoro - Lalogi Health Centre IV; 7. Kapelebyong - Kapelebyong Health Centre IV; 8. Bukedea - Bukedea Health Centre IV; 9. Sironko - Budadiri Health Centre IV; 10. Manafwa - Bugobero Health Centre IV; and 11. Oyam - Anyeke Health Centre IV. Mr Speaker, these health centres have their power reliability at 100 per cent for the last two years and that is the direction that the Ministry of Health has taken to reduce the recurrent expenditure to the minimum. My response to the second prayer is that the standard for the general wards provides for separate sections for male, female and children. Once funds are realised, the required infrastructure shall be put in place at Kassanda Health Centre IV. My response to the third prayer is that on 20 September 2021, the Emergency Medical Services Policy was approved by the Cabinet of Uganda, and it spells out the allocation of ambulances to defined catchment areas. The new policy is to allocate one Type B ambulances per 100,000 population equivalent to one constituency in Uganda. The allocated ambulance serves the population in that constituency. The policy disbanded the prior arrangement of the issue of allocating ambulances to health facilities in order to serve a wider population better. Mr Speaker, the ambulance vehicle is situated at the most accessible and secure health facility in the constituency, preferably on the highway. In the year 2020/2021, Kassanda District was allocated an ambulance registration UG6859M for Bukuya Constituency. For now, though situated in one of the constituencies, the ambulance is provided with fuel to respond to emergencies across Kassanda North and Kassanda South constituencies, in Kassanda District. In the Financial Year 2024/2025, we plan to procure additional 180 Type B and Type C ambulances to fill the gaps. The Government is committed to fill the gaps in ambulance vehicles at the constituency level for the Financial Year 2025/2026. The fifth question came from Hon. Chelangat Alinga Solomon, Member of Parliament, T’oo County, Bukwo District. He stated thus: “ Bukwo District is predominantly an agricultural district. People mainly grow maize for both commercial and subsistence purposes. However, the President has been discouraging people from maize farming unless on a large scale because it is not economically viable. Therefore, our people were advised to shift to short term crops, which are more profitable. The Government of Uganda thought of giving our people some incentives through the Agriculture Cluster Development Program (ACDP), under the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries. Rt Hon. Prime Minister, I have issues of concern that have discouraged our people from taking the good advice from the President. i. Government through ACDP, procured a contractor, Bold Energy, in April 2021 to supply farm inputs, like maize seed and fertiliser. The contractor did their part, but the Government has never met its obligation of paying the contractor. This has put the contractor in a very fragile

Mr Speaker, what I know – because that place in my constituency - yesterday, we had a meeting with the officials from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development and the minister on the same. Otherwise, it is not only Kyedikyo where she comes from, but in other constituencies as well. In Bugangaizi South County and Bugangaizi West County, poles were erected, but we do not have transformers there. In areas like Kyedikyo, they did not even put the wires. Like the other question that was asked by a Member from Kassanda, that project had issues of money. But yesterday, we had a meeting and agreed that they are going to send officials to verify and have other contractors go on site. On the payment and compensation of where these poles passed - some crops of our people were destroyed, however, some were paid, but the only unfortunate thing I found out yesterday is that they were paying some people through mobile money yet, some of our people have phones, which are not in their names. What I have observed is that the officials in the ministry do not bother and hence, they did not tell people the need to have a phone in their name. Only those that had phones in their names were paid. We agreed that these people will be assisted to get - and the people who do not have phones in their names are those without an Identity card (ID). They sometimes use their wives’, children and neighbour’s lines, but they have the phones. We agreed that we should assist them since the ministry cannot pay; if you are Nabbanja, you either have a phone or they come and pay by cash through Post Bank. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr Speaker, for giving me the opportunity. As I informed you, I will start with my new vocation. The Bible says in Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Now, I want to first say that we have forgiven the minister with his team at the ministry. In Kassanda, we do not have equipment; we borrow equipment from the Ministry of Works. Whenever they see that their machines are broken down at the ministry - they have no tyres; they say “Come for the equipment.” And we go, we take the equipment, we repair, work for two weeks, then they come for their equipment. So, every time, we first have to repair. I did not know that they did not have money, and that is why they were doing that. Today, because he was straight, we have forgiven him because he does not have money. I would like to urge this Parliament that we find a way of raising money through the Ministry of Finance to give to the Ministry of Works to improve the maintenance of this equipment. Thank you very much.

Mr Speaker, I request that I get in touch with the Member. You are aware that Kiruuma and another area in Kassanda have issues which have been on this Floor since the Ninth Parliament. I request to get in touch with Hon. Mbabazi and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development. The Member knows we have handled a number of issues with him so I promise that we shall handle it.

Mr Speaker, I have been able to follow the Parish Development Model up to yesterday. I think some people are taking advantage of our citizens. Mr Speaker, there is no subcounty in this country that does not have a computer, and most subcounties across the country have an average of four to five parishes. Let me share with you the experience in my district. Issues of computers came - and - we have 105 parishes, 24 subcounties and six towns councils. I shared this idea in Nakasongola, Nakaseke, Luwero, Mityana, Mubende, Kyankwanzi, Kiboga, Kassanda, Kagadi and many others, and I have been on TV so that the whole country can get information. Mr Speaker, what happened is that in most areas, our people recruited parish chiefs who are not fit for the job. They recruited their

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Let me first use this opportunity to appreciate colleagues for their concern about the implementation of the new decision about the Shs 1 billion. As an MP, I also had my concerns and the Members have spoken on my behalf. Madam Speaker, I wish to commit to this House that the Shs 1 billion plus the money we have been sending the Road Fund will all continue to be sent direct to the districts and not through any other channel. (Applause) Madam Speaker, my colleague from Rubanda said something, which I would like to clarify. Rubanda District has a road unit. What we do not have is the big tractor called the wheel loader. (Interjection) It is called a dozer; I am being advised but like any other - apart from the districts where Kassanda belongs, Rubanda benefited in 2016. Therefore, we have a fully- fledged road unit, Madam Speaker. COMMUNICATION FROM THE CHAIR [The Speaker]

9666 DEBATE ON THE ADDRESS ON THE STATE OF THE NATION sacrificial lambs for the PDM; that the project has sacrifices to make in terms of people’s businesses and homes. Road infrastructure Madam Speaker, this afternoon we discussed the inadequate provision and we concur; probably somebody looked at my statement. The road infrastructure is sick as we know it. I have a problem, with the way the resources for road infrastructure are distributed. In our conversation, we need to make provisions. For example, it is very okay, to have oil roads because it is a key sector. However, where are coffee roads? Where are gold roads? Where are the banana roads? I was in Kassanda three weeks ago - Kassanda gives the country a billion worth of gold every day. It does not have a single tarmac road; it is like a graveyard, Madam Speaker. I hope somebody takes note. Remember, Madam Speaker, up to now, the gold miners, exporters and the gold merchants do not pay any tax to the Government. When you go to Kassanda, it is very scary. Actually, I told them that if they look like this when they have gold, please keep your gold, I will keep my coffee in Masaka. I do not need gold in Masaka. If having gold means looking like that, I would rather keep the coffee and no gold at all. I have broadly written about the Defense and Internal Affairs sectors. Our concern mainly relates to our defense missions abroad; there are very serious challenges and complaints. I received a petition yesterday, from part of our mission of police in Somalia, deployed in 2020 to work for one year and one month. They returned one and a half years ago but were only paid for three months. Their money was - I have a list of these men and women. Their money was leased by AU, somebody has it on his or her account. So the concerns over these deployments are very serious. When you see -

When you see officers in distress - these are some of the challenges. I will formally relay their petition, and an investigation should ensue on what happened to their money. The last component, from me, is mafia-run sectors on page 27. One of them is mining. The largely unregulated mining industry is costing Uganda heavily in terms of lost revenue, environmental damage, and exploitation of vulnerable communities. There is massive criminality around Uganda’s vast reserves of sand, an invaluable non- renewable commodity by cartels, with support from influential people within the Government and other connections. The cost of sand mining to the environment is steep and has destabilised the sensitive ecology around Lake Victoria and other water- catchment areas. The mining is also labour-intensive, employing men and many youths, many of whom are underage children. Illegal gold mining has occasioned illicit financial flows in Uganda’s mining ecosystem. It is estimated that the economy loses about Shs 2 trillion every single year in illegal gold exports. Gold exports from illegal artisanal mines in Uganda amount to 2.8 tons a year with the children constituting 30 per cent of the miners. This can be verified in the mines of Kassanda; I was there. It is very scary. The Auditor-General noted in his report, on the performance of URA for the Financial Year 2021/2022 that URA failed to collect Shs 340 billion in taxes from gold exports in one financial, which was estimated to be recovered after the 5-per cent levy was implemented. These are gold exporters, but the poor people in the market stalls are paying taxes. The mercenary and mafia groups in mining do not pay any taxes.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Rt Hon. Prime Minister, Kassanda Health Centre IV is sicker than the patients there. We do not have an ambulance and have a general ward that suffocates both men, women and children, with very tiny cubicles. We do not have enough blood and we have low staffing levels. My question is, can the Prime Minister provide: (i) An ambulance for Kassanda Health Centre; (ii) A bigger solar system for the health centre because currently, midwives are using torches for delivering babies; (iii) Funds to build a general ward that separates men from women and children; and (iv) Can more blood be added because more women in Kassanda die while giving birth because they do not have blood? Thank you v ery much.

Mr Speaker and colleagues, I have been to Kassanda Health Centre. The hospital is not sick and it cannot be sick. I will send the Ministry of Health officials to assess the situation and come up with workable solutions to those issues she has co me up with. Thank y ou

8756 BUDGETARY PROPOSALS & ESTIMATES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023/2024 129) Vote 844: Kakumiro District – Shs 25,000,313,000 130) Vote 845: Kalaki District - Shs 15,868,505,000 131) Vote 846: Kalangala District – Shs 14,894,914,000 132) Vote 847: Kaliro District – Shs 28,487,386,000 133) Vote 848: Kalungu District - Shs 25,170,989,000 134) Vote 849: Kamuli District – Shs 46,518,428,000 135) Vote 850: Kamwenge District - Shs 29,011,951,000 136) Vote 851: Kanungu District - Shs 41,511,765,000 137) Vote 852: Kapchorwa District – Shs 18,548,597,000 138) Vote 853: Kapelebyong District – Shs 12,049,109,000 139) Vote 854: Karenga District - Shs 10,726,827,000 140) Vote 855: Kassanda District - Shs 22,543,695,000 141) Vote 856: Kasese District - Shs 73,970,823,000

Thank you, Mr Speaker. When you talk about the issue of tax exemption, I shade tears as a person who pays taxes. Our people are suffering on the ground. Uganda Revenue Authority is harassing our traders on the ground even right now, left, right and centre. Yet, the big fish are not paying taxes. Our own people here whom we call local investors are not benefitting from our gold. Many people have been chased from the gold areas like Kassanda while the rest have been killed and harassed by the soldiers and some people we do not know. At the same time, the people who are mining are not paying taxes. What is all this? I really feel pain because if we could consider everybody to pay taxes, the issue of roads, poor water, poor sanitation and all issues the country is undergoing will be solved. I call upon the honourable minister to check her office. Make sure that at least these so- called gold exporters pay our taxes so that we can benefit as a country. I submit. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. A number of times we have raised issues here. For example, I raised the issue of Kassanda District not having a tarmac road anywhere, but when I followed it up with the relevant ministers, including the Prime Minister, who I also asked this particular question and gave me an answer - for a very long time, even when you follow up these ministers, including the

Thank you, Mr Speaker. In Kassanda District, I actually realised that most of the SACCOs have not yet received funds. Although the district claims to have received the money – we spoke to some district technocrats and they said they sent it - the SACCOs’ records reflect there is no money on their bank accounts. I think this is something we need to take into consideration and see that funds are disbursed as soon as possible. I also realised, according to some of the SACCOs that we spoke with, that there is an element of non-inclusivity and bipartisanship within the SACCOs and how they are recruiting some of the members that are recipients of the funds. Most of these SACCOs are occupied by NRM cadres. We do not know whether the Parish Development Model was brought up to only cater for NRM cadres because, they say, this is their money and so, they are occupying every seat and they want all the funds for themselves. My recommendation is that the NRM party should not hijack the Parish Development Model because this is supposed to benefit everyone. Finally, we also realised that there is lack of coordination regarding agricultural inputs for most of our farmers in the SACCOs. These were promised, but farmers do not have the right information. Our recommendation is that information should be well coordinated. Who disperses information to these SACCOs? Who is in charge of giving them seeds and agricultural inputs that they need? The rainy season is here, but farmers have received nothing. These are some of the submissions and reports that I got from Kassanda District. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. These days, the people of Kassanda are in fear of the panga- wielding men, normally called the “Bijambiya” men, who have so far cut about five families. Two people have died in the process and three of them are in hospital. We have informed the local security agencies in Kassanda but I would like to call upon

7774 RECONSIDERATION OF THE NATIONAL LOCAL CONTENT BILL, 2022 the Government – we have a history of these panga-wielding men in this country. They were previously in Masaka and now they are in Kassanda. They target the old people and those in isolated places. My prayer is that the Government swiftly responds to the fears of the people of Kassanda. In the meantime, the Government should guide people on what can be done to solve this problem where innocent people - of 78 years - are being murdered. That is my prayer. Thank you very much.

Honourable members, when you look at clause 31, preference will be on the Ugandan goods. Hon. Oshabe of Kassanda? (Laughter)

I had special interest in the road sector because of the state of the roads in Kassanda. I tried at 1.45 p.m., to look for the report from the minister, but it was not uploaded. I am surprised to hear that he uploaded it on the 30 th - on the 10 th ? By 1.45 p.m., the report was not there. Please, confirm -

Thank you, Mr Speaker. If you are asked to look for schools that are charging exorbitant school fees in this country, you will be a bad researcher to go to Kassanda. You will have to concentrate here; in Wakiso and Kampala because that is where the major culprits are. Therefore, when you come here and accuse a committee that was given a task to look for schools charging exorbitant school fees as having sampled, that is not fair. I think the committee was guided by what they were supposed to do. Mr Speaker, are we proceeding well to accuse a committee that was given a topic of exorbitant school fees, and yet most of the schools are here? Mr Speaker, let us be fair.

Mr Speaker, allow me to thank the honourable Member for that question. On 11 January, we declared Uganda Ebola-free, but when we do that, it does not mean we close shop. It means we continue intense surveillance for 90 days. However, there are certain things that we continue to address immediately. Many of you will recall that we had one Ebola Treatment Unit in Kassanda, three in Mubende including taking over the entire Ministry of Works

7113 THE ELEVENTH PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA WEDNESDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 2023 facilities there, about two in Kampala and one in Entebbe. On 15 January, we had a meeting and agreed that the Ebola Treatment Unit in Kassanda and the three in Mubende should all be dismantled so that work can go back to normal. Mr Speaker, last week, the Ministry of Health, together with partners, began the process of dismantling. The process begins with removing medicines and beds. Subsequently, we remove the tents after which we remove all the concrete that is on the ground. Therefore, I want to reassure the honourable member that the process has already started. We have already removed all the drugs and beds and we shall begin dismantling the tents soon. However, again, allow me to inform this House that the intense surveillance for 90 days still continues. I thank you.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I want to thank the minister for the response she has given in regard to this particular concern. Kalwana, where the Ebola treatment centre was, is right next to my home in Buteeka, Kassanda. I passed by that place on Sunday and realised that some of the things you are talking about are still there. I interacted with the community and they said that they are actually still in great fear because they do not understand why the tents are still there. I guess some kind of community sensitisation about the closure and what happens is needed because the fear about the use of that particular place is real. They fear using the school and some students are very afraid of going back to the classrooms, where the centre is and it is extremely difficult. I also talked to the VHTs on the Ebola issue and they told me that around 60 of them have not yet been paid yet they worked during the Ebola surge. They told me about a list that was submitted by the DHO and that only a few of them were paid; some of the names were removed from that list. I have the list of over 60 VHTs who claim they have never been paid a single coin after their hard work during the outbreak.

Thank you. Honourable member, we have got very clear answers. Honourable minister, to help the honourable colleagues, you have your technical people who are in charge of this programme. Please send them to the ground to meet with the community leaders. Since there is no Ebola in Kassanda, you can send a commissioner to meet a few leaders and reassure them. It is very important when colleagues raise such issues here. Before any other statement is presented, I want to allow the statement on the Exodus SACCO to be presented; it is a short statement. IV) ON THE DEDUCTION OF POLICE OFFICERS’ SALARIES AS CONTRIBUTION TO THE EXODUS SACCO

6654 PRIME MINISTER’S TIME For the last three weeks or so, Kiboga Hospital, which serves Kiboga and the neighbouring districts like Kyankwanzi, Nakaseke and Kassanda, has had no medicines and other essential supplies. The health of our people in that area is at risk, especially at this time when they are heading into the festive season and when the rate of accidents on the roads, especially Kiboga-Hoima Road, is on the increase. My prayer, Mr Speaker, is that the Government immediately procures drugs and mobilises medicines so that we can save the lives of our people.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Rt Hon. Prime Minister, we all know that Mubende and Kassanda are under lockdown for over 50 days now. You remember during COVID-19, His Excellency the President mentioned that a lockdown is always instituted as we plan and prepare for a long-lasting response. Rt Hon. Prime Minister, I believe that has been enough time for us to prepare, as Government, to respond to this outbreak without affecting the economies of Mubende and Kassanda districts. The question is: when do you plan to open up Mubende and Kassanda? Last week on Saturday, a one Byaruhanga Lawrence, a father of six, committed suicide. Previously, we lost a senior one student who also committed suicide. This is attributed to the lockdown. Could we please have this lockdown lifted?

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I really appreciate the committee for the report as well. What I want to bring to light is the fact that the issues of rural electrification have become very critical and not only unique to the West Nile Region, but in my area in Kassanda District. We have villages like Mirembe, Kyakatebi, Kasana – they are right along the road where the electricity lines pass, but they have never been connected and they also simply stare at the power lines all the time. We have a number of villages, including my own village in Kasana; the biggest percentage of that district has no electricity at all. We have been talking about this electrification for a very long time, but the ministers always forget that Kassanda is a district. They tend to think that we are a village, still in Mubende District. I really hope that they can prioritise Kassanda District.

Thank you. Honourable member, even villages deserve power. Even when Kassanda is considered a village, they should give it power. (Laughter)

6619 THE ELEVENTH PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA TUESDAY, 6 DECEMBER 2022 I thought that if you had taken that cue, the debate about the cost would not be arising now. So, we are going over the same matter that was not considered. We need to rethink it. Secondly, the issue on page 30 relating to the ongoing Nyagak III project: my concern is, when discussing the issue of Vinci Coffee, Mr Speaker, I raised it here, through a motion without notice, and the House took that motion to the effect that all contracts before the Government must have an eye of Parliament. I can see contracts here. Parliament is investigating Bujagali over what is considered a “fraud contract”, in which possibly billions of money were lost. Has the committee considered looking at these contracts the Government is undertaking under Public-Private Partnerships? I hope, through action taken reports, we shall have a report from the learned Attorney- General on these contracts that we demanded for, as Parliament, to be tabled for the attention of Parliament. Third and lastly, is the issue of dimmed energy referred to - on I think page 29 or thereabout – on page 32, to be particular. If you consider how much money the country loses in paying for dimmed energy, our last calculation from my side could power over 10 districts in this country. So, the question is: did the honourable chairperson consider whether Government is alive to the cost and the challenge of still contracting, where dimmed energy is still considered a cost to the taxpayer, instead of actually – We even advised that the cost of dimmed energy resources could be channeled into connecting communities and it is in millions of dollars. So, is the minister alive to the challenge of dimmed energy and how we have variously advised that actually, this is a nugatory cost to the taxpayer and there will be no cost if Government vacates payment for dimmed energy? I would like to hear from the chairperson and what they are doing about it; that in the next budget, we are able to do away with this cost and make it an available resource for connecting communities. I thought I should bring out these issues. Otherwise, I want to thank the committee for hazarding this report and its attendant problems. At the tabling of the loan for the energy sector, I remember I rose up for an advisory that the minister, as a matter of equity, tables the beneficiary areas or regions, so that Members are comforted in the fact that we are all serving the same country. (Applause) I was away when that loan was being considered, so I do not know whether it was one of the considerations of the committee because what I am hearing now is it seems that it was never an issue. So, the debate is back. We have a loan passed. It is generally available to whoever can either lobby, speak nicely or tell some consummate lies, but not as a matter of equity for the taxpayer. So, will the minister assure this country that actually, the taxpayers in Kassanda and other places will derive equity out of this loan to which every taxpayer is liable? (Applause)

It is being taken care of using UEDCL. WENRECo was not able to do it so we had to bring in UEDCL. Finally, West Nile, we have heard your cry on WENRECo. WENRECo’s concession is coming to an end and it is not going to be renewed. The UEDCL is taking over West Nile as a Government company, to ensure that power is stabilised in West Nile. That is the last question. For the rest of the questions from other regions - one thing I wish to point out is that they have the backbone electricity. Kassanda has a backbone, but the distribution is lacking. You have those big lines going overhead - we are going to step them down and then we shall distribute power. On Abim, I share with you –(Interjections)- okay, let me answer the one on Abim. For Abim, we know your power is coming from Gulu and it is through a distribution line. There are a lot of power losses in Abim –(Interruption)

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I rise on a matter of national importance regarding the extension of the Ebola lockdown in Mubende and Kassanda districts. Since October, Mubende and Kassanda have been under lockdown and as you know, we were even stopped from accessing our constituencies. The lockdown has been extended thrice. With the lockdown, public transport in Mubende District is not accessible. People are not working yet they are supposed to eat. Children are back at home, but parents have nothing to feed them. Mr Speaker, I pray that Government relaxes some guidelines, like on transport. Secondly, I pray that public means, where taxis can carry maybe half capacity as it was with COVID-19, be allowed, and private cars of transport can operate with only three people. People are dying because they cannot access hospital services. We also need food relief delivered to these people. People are not working yet they are supposed to eat. The other time we were given 1,000 and 500 tonnes of maize flour and beans respectively, but they instead caused mayhem in Mubende and Kassanda districts because they were not enough. People fought for them. This time around, Mr Speaker, we request for at least 2,000 tonnes to be given to these people. I also would like to request for, Mr Speaker -

Thank you. Honourable, let me guide you. When you stand on a point of information, you do not give prayers. You just enrich the submission of your colleague. Number two, you do not access the microphone without the permission of the presiding officer. Let Hon. Nsamba, who is also from Kassanda, the epicentre, add something before the minister responds.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I think my colleague, Hon. William Museveni, has highlighted something very critical. First of all, I want to thank the Ministry of Health and the partners they work with; they have reduced, significantly, the number of new infections. As I speak, in Kassanda, we have gone 16 days without a new case. The people there thought that if we completed the 21 days, they would be freed from the lockdown. Unfortunately, it was a great pain for them to hear that another 21 days had been added to them. Mr Speaker, I can give simple statistics that by yesterday, the total number of burials in the district were 200 people. Out of those, 21 died of Ebola. This tells you that 179 people died of other diseases. The biggest challenge is that if my son got sick today, I cannot move him to a health centre. I have to call an ambulance, which you call in the morning and it will take 10 hours before it comes. We are pleading with the ministry that if Kassanda District, with 15 subcounties, the Ebola cases you are tracing are only in two subcounties, why keep the other subcounties under lockdown? After the 42 days, the ministry has mapped where the Ebola cases are. The Government has failed to feed the people; maybe they do not have the money to feed the people. Release the other 13 subcounties and concentrate on the two where Ebola is. That is very critical. Otherwise, our people are dying of hunger and they cannot access health care because they do not have money. We are there hopeless. They are abusing us east, west and north. Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity you have given me to talk about this matter.

Thank you, honourable colleagues. We commiserate with the people of Mubende, Kassanda and the affected areas. This is your platform. On that issue of Ebola, we are going give you a platform to update us and raise issues so that Government can be able to give feedback and give people hope. It is very important. Locking people and their representatives down – At least one of them should be free. Minister of Health -

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I would like to thank the people of Kassanda and Mubende for raising these issues; they are really pertinent. I also feel for them because locking down people this long - We saw the COVID-19 lockdown and it was tough. People lost jobs and companies closed. I really feel for you. Right now, we have only six people in hospitals and some contacts that we are finishing up with. However, just two days ago, we had a pregnant woman, a survivor of Ebola, who had a stillbirth. The baby was removed scientifically and tested Ebola positive. This baby has no contacts and remember, in the last two weeks, we have not had any case of Ebola in both Kassanda and Mubende. Even the one we have had now has totally no contact because she came from the mother’s womb. She tested positive, but the mother is negative. We are watching the mother because scientists are saying there could be some connection; maybe Ebola can recur, but they have not seen any symptoms in this woman.

6450 ACTION TAKEN REPORT ON THE RESOLUTIONS OF THE 11 TH PARLIAMENT I want to allay your fears, honourable members, that I do not think we shall go up to Christmas under this lockdown. Once these six people in the hospital and their contacts make 21 days, which will be mid-December, I think the lockdown will be lifted. I really believe so. I want to thank you, honourable members. I do not have enough words to thank those who have been coming to the ministry for meetings. Hon. Nsamba who has attended meetings online, your word counts. The Woman Representative for Mubende - Hon. Grania, what you have been doing to educate people about Ebola has helped us. The only challenge we had was that family in Kassanda, which exhumed a body. Actually, all the new cases came from that family. They exhumed the body because they said they could not bury a Muslim just like that. They washed the body and all of them died and also infected others. Otherwise, the people of Kassanda and Mubende have adhered to all this and we have brought Ebola down in record time. I have been in meetings with the World Health Organisation today and they said they cannot believe that we have brought it down in record time of less than three months. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. First of all, I would like to correct what my colleague said about the 2,000 kilogrammes. We give 20,000 metric tonnes; 2,000 kilogrammes cannot be enough for a village. The department gives 30,000 metric tonnes and we gave Mubende about 60,000 metric tonnes for both the municipality and the district. Kassanda received 30,000 metric tonnes. I want to agree with you, honourable members, that for sure we have a lot of issues right now on disasters. We are trying as much as possible to reach out to those ones that are very urgent and those that have been pending. When we got a directive from His Excellency the President to ensure that we take food to the lockdown districts of Kassanda and Mubende, we made sure that the following day, the food was delivered. However, we are still working out a mechanism on how we can take more food. It is not easy, but we are procuring more food to be able to support the districts.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. First of all, I want to thank the min- ister for the statement, and equally for inviting members to grace this year’s World AIDS Day that is going to be celebrated in Rukungiri. The honourable minister said that the rise and surge in the new infections of HIV/AIDS were mainly during the lockdown and that the numbers increased to 54,000 Ugandans. As we talk, Kassanda and Mubende districts are still under lockdown. So, the concern of the committee is that with this situation in Uganda, we might have more effects of lockdown on HIV/AIDS prevalence and services in those two districts. Therefore, I urge Government in the two districts to focus more on controlling Ebola. We should have strategies in place to help us attain zero new infections, zero new AIDS- related deaths, and zero babies born with HIV, by addressing all of the factors that continue to increase HIV infections in Uganda. Finally, there is an observation I want to make, as the committee vice chairperson. During our interactions with many stakeholders in the country, including the Uganda AIDS Commission, we noted that over time, donor support has been declining drastically. Currently, we only have the United States Government, through PEPFA, still on board yet it is only providing approximately $400 million. The committee noted that donor funds have largely been used mainly on vertical programmes -

The districts to be connected are: Buikwe, Bukomansimbi, Butambala, Buvuma, Gomba, Kalangala, Kalungu, Kampala, Kassanda, Kayunga, Kiboga, Kyankwanzi, Kyotera, Luwero, Lwengo, Lyantonde, Masaka, Mityana, Mpigi, Mubende, Mukono, Nakaseke, Nakasongola, Rakai, Ssembabule, Wakiso, Bugweri, Kitagwenda –(Interjections) - that is central. I am going region by region. In eastern Uganda, we have Amuria, Budaka, Bududa, Bugiri, Bukedea, Bukwo, Bulambuli, Busia, Namayingo, Butaleja, Butebo, Buyende, Iganga, Jinja, Kaberamaido, Kaliro, Kamuli, Kapchorwa, Katakwi, Kibuku, Kumi, Kween, Luuka, Manafwa, Mayuge, Mbale, Namisindwa, Namutumba, Ngora, Pallisa, Serere, Sironko, Soroti, Tororo, Kalaki and Kapelebyong.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I see the Minister of Disaster Preparedness and other ministers from the Office of the Prime Minister. You are aware that the people of Kassanda and Mubende are in a lockdown that was extended for another 21 days. Government gave us some food and some families got 3 kg or 10 and so on. However, I would like to hear from the minister, whether there is any plan to add food to the people because first of all, the food that came in the first 21 days was little. Secondly, the lockdown was extended. Can the Minister of Disaster Preparedness or the minister from the Office of the Prime Minister assure the people of Mubende and Kassanda that more food is coming tomorrow? Thank you, very much.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I watched my colleague on Zoom the day he was speaking from South Africa about the little food that was taken to Kassanda compared to what was taken to Mubende. I would like to remind the Member that Mubende has a municipality and a district. So, the food that went to Mubende was more because we were giving it to two different administrative units. The one of Kassanda came as a district. The relief items will be taken to both Kassanda and Mubende due to the extension of the lockdown. However, their Chief Administrative Officers should be in position to write back to us showing the people who did not receive the ration last time so that we plan accordingly. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise on a matter of national importance concerning schools that are closing. In Mubende, we are in a lockdown and there is no public or even private transport yet students are supposed to go back home. I thank the ministry because they have organised means to transport students who are studying outside Mubende but are from Mubende. However, how are the parents going to pick them? The ministry will have centres where they are going to drop the students but parents are not supposed to drive or ride. How are they going to take their children home? I would like the ministry to relax the rules and allow private and public means to take these children back home because they are going to be dropped at Kasenyi Secondary School. In Kassanda, I think it is Nkobazambogo Primary School. How are these children going to reach their homes, Madam Speaker?

It is about the safe transportation of primary school learners to and from Mubende and Kassanda. There are also other issues. One, when are we going to reopen the next term? That is what we are going to take a decision on, as a ministry -

Madam Speaker, let me begin with the question you raised earlier, and I need to reiterate it. One, once children are taken to the designated centre, how are they picked? In my considered opinion, the task forces in Mubende and Kassanda must be able to organise how parents are able to pick up their children from the designated areas. However, as I said, I want to ask Parliament to permit me to go back so we consult and bring a statement here. Otherwise, we are working closely with the Ministry of Health.

Honourable Minister of Health, can you lay on the Table the Statutory Instrument on the regulation of Ebola in Uganda? Honourable members, as you recall on Tuesday and Wednesday last week, a matter of legality on the restrictions being imposed on areas that are currently under lock arose in Mubende and Kassanda. We asked the minister to come with the regulation and now we are ready to receive the regulation. Kindly lay it on the Table and I will ask Hon. Asuman to verify it.

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Public transport is only restricted within the districts of Mubende and Kassanda and not any other district. The schools – the Minister of Education and Sports would speak to this -

Madam Speaker, Senior Four students started their exams on the day His Excellency, the President issued the directive to restrict movements and, to-date, they are doing exams. We have not experienced any challenge. Since then, I have gone to the districts of Kassanda and Mubende five times. [Mr Isabirye] COMMUNICATION FROM THE CHAIR

6027 THE ELEVENTH PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA WEDNESDAY, 2 NOVEMBER 2022 The Ministry of Health deployed vans and buses to support the teachers and pupils or learners to reach their schools and they have been using this transport means in both districts. If there are students registered outside Mubende and Kassanda, the Ministry of Education and Sports will reach out to us and we shall find a way. Right now, we have not heard of such cases. I thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker, for your right and timely ruling. I actually said that we were collecting data and our technical teams were in Kassanda yesterday to pick information that we needed and that is why we are bringing this today. Secondly, this lies in my docket of Primary Health Care, and so, we have made no mistake. On the 20 th of September 2022, the Ministry of Health declared an outbreak of the Ebola Sudan Virus in Mubende District. The outbreak then spread and now, it is in four districts of Kassanda, Kagadi, Bunyangabu and Kyegegwa within a period of two weeks. Subsequently, due to movements of contacts and symptomatic individuals for health services, the outbreak spread to Wakiso District and Kampala City, bringing the total number of affected authorities to seven. All the affected local authorities had been categorised as very high risk or high risk based on the assessment done by the Ministry of Health. Madam Speaker, allow me to give the status of the outbreak. It is 43 days today since the declaration of the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak and the total number of confirmed cases stand at 130 of whom 43 have succumbed to the disease and 45 have been treated and have improved, and 40 are still undergoing treatment. The table, which we have already uploaded will give you the statistics from Bunyangabu to Kagadi and Kampala, and also give the subcounties that were affected and the number of people who are in those districts. Kassanda and Mubende will remain the epicentre. And now, we have a new district of Wakiso, specifically in Busiro and Nansana, as you can see in the table. Among the confirmed cases, there have also been health workers. To-date, 15 health workers have been infected, of whom six have succumbed to the deadly infection. May their souls rest in eternal peace. Out of the 15, six were from private facilities and nine were from the public health sector. This includes the team of medical students who got infected in Mubende Regional Referral Hospital. We have noted that most of the cases tend to visit several private clinics for care before finally going to the public facility. This exposes the health workers to infection. We have been engaging and appealing to all health workers (public and private) to use appropriate protective gear when in facilities attending to patients. Every Tuesday morning, we do programmes to inform our people. Madam Speaker, we have been mobilising resources to respond to this outbreak. To guide response to the outbreak, a three-months’ response plan costing Shs 75 billion was developed, presented to Cabinet and submitted to the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development for funding. To-date, we have not received any response. Several partners have mobilised resources but they are yet to be formally communicated to the Ministry of Health, how each have been mobilising. The partners, however, have been supporting several interventions on the ground, including surveillance, contact tracing, risk communication, case management, transport and safe burials. We are organising an accountability forum and we expect all partners to declare the resources mobilised towards the epidemic. However, to urgently support the affected districts to carry out response activities, the Ministry of Health through internal re-organisation of resources, disbursed Shs 2.12 billion to the districts as you will see in the table below. Mubende Shs 500 million, Kyegegwa Shs 305 million, Kassanda Shs 305 million, Kagadi Shs 305 million, Bunyangabu Shs 305 million and Mubende Regional Referral Hospital Shs 400 million. [The Speaker] MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

6031 THE ELEVENTH PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA WEDNESDAY, 2 NOVEMBER 2022 All the above districts accessed the funds and are carrying out interventions and paying their health workers except Kassanda, where the leadership and the entire health system is a little weak. But efforts are being made to strengthen the response in Kassanda District by recruiting health workers on contract to support the district, deploy response teams and all that is required. We also want to construct an Ebola Treatment Unit in Kassanda. We, however, request more support from you honourable Members and especially Members from Kassanda District. Ebola treatment facilities Madam Speaker, the Government and partners have set up three Ebola Treatment Facilities in Mubende District. A forty-two-bed capacity treatment facility at the regional referral hospital. Another 42-bed capacity Ebola Treatment Facility, at the district’s works grounds. The third treatment facility is at the original outbreak epicentre in Madudu: an eight-bed capacity facility that is cushioning the main facility at the retention centre for suspected cases under surveillance and investigation. In Kampala Metropolitan Area, we have two permanent treatment facilities in Mulago National Referral Hospital and Entebbe Municipality. Mulago Ebola Treatment Facility is a 120-bed facility that is co-located but separate from Mulago National Referral Hospital. This facility is currently housing the 22 quarantined contacts from Kampala and Wakiso. They will be evaluated this week to create room for the admission of both suspected and confirmed cases. Madam Speaker, the second Ebola Treatment Facility is in Entebbe National Isolation Centre. It is a 67-bed capacity facility with eight ICU beds. This is where all the current Kampala Metropolitan confirmed cases are being managed. The Ministry of Health with support from partners is setting up an additional treatment facility in Mulago Sports Field. These 64- bed capacity will be built in two phases over a period of four weeks. With the completion of this facility, the ministry will have 351 beds available for the treatment of confirmed cases. Furthermore, open spaces have been identified to set up more tents should the need arise. Treatment for Sudan Ebola Virus Madam Speaker, there is no known treatment for this Sudan Ebola Virus Disease. Currently, there are a number of promising treatment options that the ministry is using under trial, including monoclonal antibodies and repurposed drugs like remdesivir donated by the US Government. However, the doses available are still very few. So far, 13 patients have received these trial drugs with relatively good outcomes. Four patients admitted in critical condition succumbed to death. This is to emphasise the importance of early reporting and hence treatment. Another request has been submitted to the USA Government for more of the trial drugs. The ministry will evaluate the efficacy of three candidate Ebola Sudan vaccines on contacts in the coming weeks. The candidate vaccines are Oxford, from the United Kingdom, Sabin from the USA and Merck also from the USA. The main objective is to evaluate their efficacy to protect primary contacts of Ebola patients within 29 days of contact. We plan to vaccinate contacts of 150 confirmed cases, those make 3,000 people initially. Trial preparation has been done and concluded and we estimate that we may begin the trial in the next two weeks. Madam Speaker, despite the presence of these promising treatment modalities, the mainstay of control for Ebola Sudan Virus Disease is early detection of the infection, individuals and their contacts, and immediately isolating these contacts. If we can do that, we will reduce the numbers.

6032 The moment you feel any symptoms, please, go for treatment. We are banking on you, honourable members, because when you speak, your people listen. Early treatment, as we have seen in the 45 recovered individuals, is associated with a good outcome. For most of the individuals that have died, time was lost while running from one clinic to another, including going to shrines to consult witch doctors. The population understanding the signs and symptoms of Ebola Virus Disease and avoiding exposure to it; especially, contact with the sick persons’ body fluids vomit, stool, faeces, blood, saliva, sweat, urine - all these can infect you if you are in close contact with a patient. This exposure may be through direct handling, deliberate or incidental, or even accidental of linen, surfaces, cleaning, sharing of lavatories, beddings, or through handshaking, hugging, or caring for a confirmed case. Madam Speaker, I would like to inform this House and the entire population that the symptoms of Ebola in the early phases are similar and consistent with most common febrile illnesses like malaria, where the clinical cause of the disease begins with high-grade fever, headache, sore throat, abdominal pain, in the upper abdomen especially, fatigue, general body weakness, intractable vomiting and diarrhea, plus bleeding manifestations, may not be an early presentation. So, if you feel some fever, please, do not stay at home because you can be helped. This emphasises the aspect of seeking care early if you had contact with anybody who has Ebola. The outbreak epicentre remains Mubende and Kassanda specifically. In the Mubende District, the most affected subcounties are Madudu, Kiruma and East Division of Mubende Municipality. While in Kassanda, the subcounties of Kikandwa and Kalwana are the most affected. At the beginning of the outbreak, the epidemic spread to the three districts of Bunyangabu, Kagadi, Kyegegwa. Two districts have completed the 21 days of contacts follow up and even individuals have been retired from the contact list. They are back home and do not have the Ebola virus. Since there has been no second retransmission, we believe transmission may have been interrupted. However, intensified surveillance continues in these districts for another 21 days to complete the 42 days cycle before they can be cleared. A new case appeared in Kyegegwa late last week, and so, we have restarted the countdown afresh. To stop further exportation of cases into other parts of the country, His Excellency, the President of Uganda directed the restricting of movements into and out of the districts of Mubende and Kassanda. However, internal movement is allowed and transit vehicles are free to cross through to other districts; if one is going to Kakumiro, Kabarole, Fort Portal, they can cross through but not stop anywhere in Mubende. The President’s directive of restricted movement was based on optimising control effects in the same geographical area and minimising the spread to other areas. The penetration of Ebola in heavily populated areas creates a situation of rapid spread and is associated with sustained and protracted person-to-person transmission. Urban Ebola transmission is complex and Government will do it takes to ensure control of transmission in the urban settings, especially the Kampala Metropolitan Area, which includes Wakiso. To illustrate the extent of the spread in urban transmission, a single case can quickly set up several transmission lines. In short, in a very short time, as shown in this graphics, just one person in this congested city can spread Ebola to very many other people. [Ms Muhanga] MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

6033 THE ELEVENTH PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA WEDNESDAY, 2 NOVEMBER 2022 This is an example of a rapid spread of infection by the case that came from Kassanda to Mulago and later, died in Nansana after running away from hospital. He is responsible for infecting the family of seven, including neighbours and many others. We were able to get this cluster plus one other because of the ministry’s vigilance in contact tracing and field case investigations. Six of the infected family members are learners, who attended three schools in Rubaga Division. We have listed 170 contacts from these schools that we are following up. All the schools in Kampala Metropolitan Area have been supported with temperature guns, Jik and chlorine solution. Teachers, non-teaching staff and parents are being sensitised to ensure a safe learning environment. Madam Speaker, to ensure this rapid spread does not happen, all contacts in Kampala will be quarantined at Government cost at designated places for 21 days to limit further spread through secondary transmission. I appeal to all of you to sensitise and encourage all Ugandans to understand and appreciate the rationale behind this, and to cooperate to ensure that we bring this outbreak to a speedy end so that we return to our normal ways of life. Madam Speaker, in the two districts of Mubende and Kassanda, the Ministry of Health is carrying out the following interventions: 1. Intense risk communication to sensitise the communities about the Ebola virus disease, its causes, presentation and prevention; 2. All burials in the community - whether they died of Ebola or not - are carried out by the Safe Dignified Burial Team, with our teams. Samples from all dead bodies are removed and tested to rule out death from Ebola; 3. Surveillance and contact tracing for all listed contacts, aiming at 100 per cent follow up; 4. Surveillance in schools. All schools in Mubende and Kassanda districts have been provided with three temperature guns each to monitor temperature of learners, teachers and support staff. Parents have been counselled not to send sick children to school and teachers have been advised to report any absenteeism immediately for investigation; 5. Treatment of confirmed cases and psycho- socio counselling. The people who have had Ebola in their homes need psycho- socio counseling in order for them to settle their minds; 6. There is also an ecological surveillance that has been concluded, with 189 bats caught in Madudu and Kiruuma subcounties. Over 320 samples have already been extracted for testing to ascertain the actual cause and origin of this Ebola Sudan virus in Mubende. Laboratory testing Madam Speaker, the ministry has deployed its first ever mobile Ebola laboratory in Mubende at our regional referral hospital, and this is part of the two mobile PCR laboratories procured by the East African Community Secretariat, under the directives of the Heads of State of the East African Community countries. The laboratory is currently handling all the samples from Mubende and Kassanda districts. Plans are underway to deploy a mobile laboratory in Kassanda Ebola Treatment Unit after construction and in Mulago Ebola Treatment Unit, should the need arise. The Uganda Virus Research Institute laboratory in Entebbe continues to handle all other samples from the rest of the country. Madam Speaker, these are the challenges that we face in the fight against Ebola. We have encountered a number of challenges that are currently affecting our response.

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. We do not believe that health workers would sacrifice their lives to treat Ebola infected persons just for money and put their lives and those of their families in danger. This kind of attitude and negative talk is very discouraging and may lead to an explosion of cases where we have made progress. However, we would like to thank all Members of Parliament from Mubende, Kassanda and Kampala Metropolitan Area, who have been with us on the ground, sensitising the communities and sending encouraging messages of support and the response. i) Lack of cooperation by the public due to the negative talk, myths and misconceptions. We also note that there is a lot of misconception and myths about Ebola. Many of our communities are yet to understand the dangers posed by an Ebola epidemic and that it can devastate economies and kill an entire village. The negative propaganda and politicising of the epidemic makes communities undertake dangerous activities, for example: a. Running away to other districts to avoid being isolated. In so doing, they run away with the infection, spread it to their loved ones, spread it to other districts and other people get involved and in the end and end up dead, yet they could have been saved. b. The exhuming of a body in Kikandwa Subcounty, Kassanda District, which has led to the death of six other people from that cluster. c. This could have been avoided but there was a Muslim community that said they cannot bury the person without washing [Ms Muhanga] MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

6035 THE ELEVENTH PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA WEDNESDAY, 2 NOVEMBER 2022 the body. They exhumed the body and washed it and six more people died. d. Spreading of the epidemic to other districts. This stretches the health sector workforce. It causes fatigue and in the end, death, which is very expensive to control. In conclusion, Madam Speaker, the Ministry of Health appeals to Ugandans to cooperate with the surveillance teams, the contact tracers, the VHTs, and the health workers. If you have signs and symptoms of the Ebola Virus Disease, please report to the nearest public health facility. If you or your loved one has had contact with an Ebola-infected person, please inform the contact tracers and remain in isolation for at least 21 days, while cooperating with the surveillance teams during this period of follow-up. Running away and hiding exposes you and your loved ones to infection potentially resulting in death that could have been avoided. The ministry continues to carry out risk communication to the public. We have had a number of community sensitisation meetings in highly affected districts of Kassanda and Mubende, and with the schools in the affected districts. We have also held high-level meetings with district/city task forces of Mubende, Kassanda and Kampala metropolitan area a number of times. We have also engaged local and political leaders in Mubende, Kassanda and Kampala metropolitan area. I would like to thank Members of Parliament from these districts who actually were at the ministry last week for the meeting. We shared a lot of information with them. Hon. Oshabe, who was not there physically, was on Zoom , and he gave us a lot of insights. Lastly, Madam Speaker, allow me to thank you and all honourable members for the support you have always given to the health sector. Your support has enabled the sector to build systems over time to respond to epidemics and provide quality service to the people of Uganda. I am also glad that even the international media, especially British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has been reporting very well about Uganda and praising Uganda for fighting Ebola and that they trust we shall end it. We continue to appeal to all of you to support the response to the Ebola epidemic because people in your constituencies listen to you, and your voices may help bring this epidemic to an end. I thank you for your kind attention. I beg to submit. (Applause)

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The issue I raised yesterday - and the Minister, Hon. Margaret Muhanga was here, and I saw her taking note of the legal framework under which the lockdown and rules are being made in Kassanda and other affected areas. You remember, Minister Dr Ruth Aceng, in the 10 th Parliament, issued several statutory instruments when we had COVID-19 to guide the country on a wide range of issues. Now we have Ebola and pronouncements are being made, yet we do not have any statutory instruments on the record. We had requested just like you did with COVID-19, you table before this House the statutory instruments on Ebola because you need to guide the police in executing its work. When people are arrested, they must be arrested under some law and they must be charged under some law. I will give you an example: during COVID-19, the regulations you issued under statutory instruments were gazetted. If you were found operating a bar and you were convicted, you could be sentenced to two months imprisonment. But prior to that, there was a very big challenge. So, we ask that you present that document before this House for information. Otherwise, Madam Speaker, this statement has provided good information on the status of Ebola in the country. Honourable minister, I want to appreciate you for that save for that aspect. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. I am in the Pan African Parliament, which is in session. However, on this matter of Ebola, I had to create time so that I could participate in it. Therefore, I would like to thank you, Madam Speaker, for creating time for me. I am very glad about that. I want to begin by thanking the minister for the statement. I also want to, generally, thank the Ministry of Health for the right response towards the Ebola situation, not only in Mubende but also in Kassanda. If there is any Member of Parliament who does not believe that there is Ebola, I want to inform you that in my hometown, Kikandwa, we have so far lost 13 people in just a week. You can imagine. The entire town is deserted. People have chosen to run away because that is the current situation. Ebola exists and our people are dying. Every day, we record people who are dying from Kikandwa in Kassanda North. Having said that, I want to thank the Ministry of Health. They began putting out these messages, but people took them lightly. I also want to thank our people – the Ugandans – who are on the frontline in the fight against Ebola. Ebola is a deadly disease. Even many health workers fear it. We also thank the security personnel and other government agencies, who are doing whatever they can. We also thank development partners who are giving a lot of support, currently, in the country. I want to thank, specifically, Dr Ruth Aceng, the Minister of Health. Honestly, she has been coming to Kassanda and meeting people herself. While I am away, I have known and been following up the matters of Ebola on a [The Speaker] MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

6037 THE ELEVENTH PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA WEDNESDAY, 2 NOVEMBER 2022 daily basis. I know who is hospitalised, who has been affected and who has held which meeting. I am glad and happy and I thank her. Despite the fact that the disease is very deadly – everyone fears it – she comes with her team to the ground. Having said that, I need some clarification; I have noted that in the statistics they give, they indicate Kikandwa and Kalwana as different subcounties in all the ministry’s statistics. I want to take this time to say that there is no subcounty in Kassanda called Kikandwa. Kikandwa is a parish in Kalwana Subcounty. Honourable minister, I also noted that in your statistics, you indicate that we have a subcounty called Gombe in Kassanda District. We do not have a subcounty called Gombe. Please, take note of that. I have been following up how you have been reporting. We have only one subcounty, Kalwana, that is affected by the Ebola virus. In that subcounty, there is only one parish called Kikandwa that is affected currently. I needed to clear that. The next thing that I need the minister to clarify is the issue of the leaders, as it is stated in the statement. I think it was unfair to say that the leaders in Kassanda are weak. Despite the fact that - I am not on ground - the leadership there is willing to participate and make a contribution; they have been excluded in the process of managing Ebola. Therefore, it is not right to say that the leaders in Kassanda are weak. Probably, if the ministry said that they have a weak health team, I can agree. However, it is not true that the leaders in Kassanda are weak. That noted, I also need clarification on the money. When you look at how the money that first came was distributed, you will notice that despite the fact that the two districts are on lockdown – Mubende and Kassanda - they gave out money equally even to those districts, which are not under lockdown. How can Kassanda get the same amount of money as Kagadi, which is not under lockdown? I need the justification for that. The other issue is that Mubende District has 10 subcounties, while Kassanda has 15. When you look at the money indicated to have been given out, Mubende got Shs 500 million and Kassanda Shs 300 – even in food. I have seen the Prime Minister around. She can also clarify why Mubende, with fewer subcounties, is given much more, even in terms of food, than Kassanda. Having said that –

6038 We also have the issue of trucks, which you have left to move from Kikandwa. They move timber to Kampala and elsewhere. I do not know how you are going to address that. It is necessary that they are stopped so that they do not spread the disease elsewhere. Like I have said, it is only one parish in the entire Kassanda –

Lastly, Rt Hon. Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja, my prayer is: This is not the time to play the politics of Opposition and NRM. We know Kassanda is an Opposition area but we are praying to you, to please let us concentrate on the disease; we shall do the politics later on when this is done. Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, the issue of Ebola is a pertinent issue. And we all want to support our people to get out of this without many people dying. Mubende District has 19 subcounties and a municipal council. Kassanda District has 15 subcounties with two town councils. The targeted population to be helped is guided by the President. They are the boda boda cyclists, those people who were selling by the roadside and the market vendors. First of all, the problem came from Mubende. So, we were guided by the technical assessment team that went on site, and gave us how to distribute the food. We followed a technical assessment team that guided our actions. That is all I can tell him. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Now, I will just summarise the issues raised by Hon. Oshabe. Madam Speaker, when I talked about weak leadership in Kassanda, I beg that you allow me to maintain that statement. And I will clarify. In my five trips to Kassanda, I only met the chairman of the district yesterday. In all my trips, I only met –

Thank you. So, I am not going to explain any further. I am glad that they have started coming one by one to support the response and I do appreciate. The reason why Mubende has to receive more money than Kassanda is: 1) Because Mubende had strong health systems and strong leadership. Mubende is currently handling all the issues of Kassanda, including treating the patients of Kassanda, mobilising them and taking them back to Kassanda. So, definitely Mubende needs more resources. However, as soon as we set up an ETU in Kassanda and we strengthen the system, then Kassanda will start handling its own issues. Madam Speaker, I take note of the schools but personally, I engaged the communities in Kikandwa Parish and I thank honourable for correcting me, I am not a native of there. So, if I make a mistake about the names of parishes and subcounties, I beg to be forgiven. I am learning and the more I go there, the more I learn. But we have engaged the schools, the parents and the communities. Madam Speaker, we lost two years in the COVID-19 pandemic. We cannot afford to allow the communities in Kassanda to lose another year. So, we are working out all modalities to ensure that the pupils or the learners study in a safe environment. We have provided gun thermometers, infection prevention, we have sensitised them, the Ministry of Education and Sports is on the ground, and we want to ensure that they finish exams and exit as safe as –

Honourable members, I welcome you back from the one-month recess. Welcome back and thank you for going to your constituencies – that is if you went. (Laughter) As you recall, we ended the First Meeting of the Second Session of the 11 th Parliament on 29 September 2022, at which point I adjourned the House sine die . That is what paved the recess period. I hope you effectively used your recess period to interact with your constituents and to do your oversight role. As I also said, I had requested you to make a follow up on the Parish Development Model. At an appropriate time, I will allot you time to report to this House on what you found out about the Parish Development Model and how we should correct or improve it. The recess period coincided with the outbreak of the Ebola virus in some areas of Kassanda and Mubende. In the interest of safety and wellbeing of Members – in exercise of responsible leadership – I did write to the

Thank you, Madam Speaker, for this guidance. This morning, the senior minister requested that we read the statement tomorrow because she said she had spoken to you yesterday, and told you that the team on the ground is still compiling more information about the person who was exhumed in Kassanda and so, we will present it tomorrow. Thank you.

Thank you very much. And maybe on top of that, in Mubende and Kassanda, there are some pupils and students who registered with different examination centres, yet, public transport has been restricted. What plans does the Ministry of Education and Sports have to handle that? Let it come in tomorrow’s report. What plans do you have to ensure those pupils go to do exams in those examination centres and return home safely?

For your information, I gave permission by the powers vested in me. Mr SSEWUNGU: Yes, but the Minister of Internal Affairs has been here. What is happening in Kassanda and Mubende districts - there is a lot of beating of citizens; preventing them from Ebola. Some people are being arrested.

As the minister comes tomorrow, it is my humble request that they also table, before this august House, a copy of the Gazette containing the statutory instrument declaring Kassanda and Mubende as areas that are affected and the punishable offences in those specific areas. I say so because we had a problem during the COVID-19 pandemic where the President would make a pronouncement and police officers would arrest people on the basis of a presidential pronouncement. However, a presidential pronouncement is not law. That is why people are being arrested and the police cannot charge them; because there are no offences. Therefore, as you come tomorrow, please, come with a copy of the statutory order where that is contained – (Interruption)

Thank you. You see, the funny bit with this is if there is anyone I will start with, it is Hon. Ssemujju because Kasangati - Kasangati is not his area. He has survived me because I knew Kasangati. (Laughter) I was going to order, right away, for – (Laughter) - but I can say Wakiso District, where he is a resident. However, honourable colleagues, the other day, I asked you to exercise caution. I emphasised it on the Floor here. Now, if a case is in Kassanda or Mubende – because it is under greater Mubende – the Members should follow our guidance. What I picked from Hon. Ssemujju’s submission is that Colleagues, you need to be more cautious. Do not just go to your areas and because you are MPs, you start interacting with people, pick Ebola and bring it here. Otherwise, it is difficult for me because I do not have any proof that apart from being residents of those areas and coming from Mubende, they have been there. If I say Wakiso, most of us would go. (Laughter) So, we would not have anyone in this House. However, take what Hon. Ssemujju has raised positively; that we need to be very cautious. Hon. Teddy Nambooze? (Hon. Irene Linda rose_) Hon. Linda, what is the issue? Let me allow Hon. Linda.

Mr Speaker, in the minister’s statement, he said that when they were designing the PDM, there was no transition plan. They have no transition plan from the previous institutions that had been managing seedlings. These are our institutions – UCDA and NAADS are Government institutions, which still exist. The minister should tell us what is wrong with these institutions to the extent that he is going to recommend associations, which do not exist at the moment. Mr Speaker, UCDA in Kassanda, has structures for identifying coffee farmers and they have just taken us through a process. In my constituency, they identified 300,000 holes already dug by the farmers. The UCDA has the record. Now, the minister is here, telling us to start another process when we are talking about planting this season – and this season means today, tomorrow and next week –(Interruption)

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I rise on a point of procedure. I was in Kassanda District yesterday and interacted with some of the communities that were affected. We were sensitising them and what we realised is that when we were having interactions with the district health officer, we realised that: 1. The Ministry of Health team has not yet been to Kassanda yet, we have one death that has been recorded. 2. People are extremely unaware of what Ebola is - the symptoms and preventive measures. Also, the District Health Officer told us that there are no isolation units; so they all do not know what to do and yet, today, I learned that the Ministry of Health is in Mubende, but they have not yet heeded to the call I made here for them to take interventions to the nearby districts. Our people have started getting affected but I still do not see why the Ministry of Health has failed to prioritise Kassanda. So, tomorrow, I hope that that report will be able to capture this information. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Rt Hon. Prime Minister, my question is about the Myanzi-Kassanda-Bukuya Road, which is a major road that connects two districts. In Kassanda, we have no single tarmacked road. Rt Hon. Prime Minister, you have been to Kassanda a number of times and that road has been promised to the people of Kassanda for a very long time. My question is: When will the Myanzi-Kassanda-Bukuya Road ever get tarmacked? Thank you.

Mr Speaker, the Member is aware I have been to Kassanda and that, that is a priority road, by Government; it is in our manifesto and it will be worked upon. Those are the roads that Government is struggling to get financing for.

Mr Speaker, let me take this opportunity to inform colleagues that the Ministry of Health and my office have reactivated the district taskforces in the neighbouring districts of Mubende, Kakumiro, Kyegegwa, Kassanda, Mityana, Gomba, including Kampala and Wakiso, so that we can train them on how to communicate appropriately. We have a national taskforce meeting on Sunday, and we have agreed that we meet in Mubende so that we can also have those other taskforces in Mubende attending. Mr Speaker –(Interjections)- yes, we want to meet in Mubende because that is where the problem is. It is not true that we have lost eight people. So far, only two people have died. The others being talked about - we do not know yet the cause of their death because they were buried before they were diagnosed. Mr Speaker, we shall be on top of our game. You are aware that Uganda is good at managing pandemics; we shall also be on top of this.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I appreciate the Ministry for the report. I would like to report to the House that Kassanda borders Mubende. Actually, Madudu Subcounty where the case was found, borders Bweyongede Parish in Kalwana Subcounty in Kassanda District. We have two gold mines as well and these people are always moving from one area to another, crossing our districts like that. Unfortunately, in the interventions that the minister has read, I have not heard Kassanda District being mentioned anywhere. They mentioned Mubende and Kiboga, leaving Kassanda in the middle and not addressing those issues. I do pray that the ministry would send those interventions; the rapid teams, etc. - to Kassanda District, so that our people can be taken care of. Right now they are in panic mode and very worried about the consequences of what may happen since we are neighbours. Thank you.