A disagreement has broken out between Patrick Besigye Keihwa, the LC V chairman Kabale district and Local Government minister Adolf Mwesige over a 2.5 billion shillings African Development Bank funded project. It stems from complaints by leaders of Hamurwa Sub County accusing Keihwa of diverting the Community Agricultural Infrastructure Improvement Program-CAIIP from their area to Ruhija Sub County.
They contend that Ruhija Sub County had earlier on benefited from another Agricultural Modernization Program –AAMP, which is also funded by the African Development Bank. Guidelines of the Community Agricultural Infrastructure Improvement Program-CAIIP III exclude sub counties that benefited from the Area based agricultural modernization program from the project. Now, Adolf Mwesige, the minister of local government has written to Keihwa instructing him to review the selection criterion and ensure compliance with the project guidelines.
In his letter July 12, letter Mwesige claims that he has carried out independent investigations into the matter and found out that Ruhija Sub County benefited from the area based Agricultural modernization program when it was still part of Ikumba Sub County. He also contends that the chairperson and his executive handpicked sub counties to benefit under the program without passing through the district council. They are Ruhija, Rwamucucu, Rubaya and Maziba sub counties.
James Kabatereine, the LC III chairman of Hamurwa Sub County has welcomed the intervention of the minister, saying this should serve as a lesson to the district chairperson to make right decisions. Patrick Besigye Keihwa, Kabale LC V chairperson says that minister was misled by Henry Musasizi, the Rubanda East Member of parliament who is working hard to ensure Hamurwa sub county benefits from the project because it is found in his constituency. He says it is unfortunate that some legislators are misleading the public saying he diverted the project without putting into consideration the reason as to why Ruhija was cut off from Ikumba.
He explains that the Ruhija sub county was cut off from Ikumba Sub County because it was under served, adding that only one parish in the sub county benefited from the Area based agricultural modernization program. Keihwa says that he used his executive powers to select the sub counties and that the minister’s letter is just a piece of advice and that they can adopt or reject.
