In short
Gulus largest fish project remains non-functional more than eight years after it was rehabilitated. Government spent Shillings 1.5 billion in building and equipping the project in 2008 to promote fisheries and research in aquaculture in Northern Uganda. However, since then the centre has been idle without major activities.
Gulu's largest fish project remains non-functional more than eight years after it was rehabilitated.
Government spent Shillings 1.5 billion in building and equipping the project in 2008 to promote fisheries and research in aquaculture in Northern Uganda. However, since then the centre has been idle without major activities.
The fish fry centre located in Laliya Parish in Laroo Division in Gulu Municipality has 24 fish ponds, giant breeding tanks and fish food processing machine. The others are a standby generator, office equipment and transport facilities amongst others.
Residents around the area are angry to see the equipment wasting away.
Charles Oling, the Laliya village chairperson says the project has contributed nothing to changing the lives of the society since it has remained non-functional.
Oling says residents experiencing water shortage during the dry season have failed to collect water from the largest water reservoir being hosted at the centre over its non-functionality.
Luo bite
//Cue in: "Pii aa ki…
Cue out: "…dog kulu otwo-oo."//
Translation: There was a lots of water at the project site coming from Bwonagweno spring well. It used to flow freely to Unyama River and residents relied on it for horticulture and domestic purposes before it was rehabilitated to a modern fish project. Since then, the biggest reserve tanks have been collecting the entire water resource that should support residents. Now they don't have access to the water in the reserve tank. I think the dam should be opened up to residents.
John Peter Lanek, Gulu district fisheries officer says the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries is aware of the centre's non functionality.
Cue in: "The project is…
Cue out: "…going on site."//
Captain Okot Santos Lapolo, the Gulu resident district commissioner says the centre was built with loans from the African Development Bank.
Captain Lapolo says preliminary investigation indicates that the Ministry of Agriculture gave up on the centre after realising that its water pumping machine had been stolen. He said he has written to the Ministry and the Inspectorate of Government to investigate management of the centre.
When Uganda Radio Network visited the project site, the only person at the site was a watchman who requested anonymity. Most of the ponds at the facility are drying up due to drought.
Government spent Shillings 1.5 billion in building and equipping the project in 2008 to promote fisheries and research in aquaculture in Northern Uganda. However, since then the centre has been idle without major activities.
The fish fry centre located in Laliya Parish in Laroo Division in Gulu Municipality has 24 fish ponds, giant breeding tanks and fish food processing machine. The others are a standby generator, office equipment and transport facilities amongst others.
Residents around the area are angry to see the equipment wasting away.
Charles Oling, the Laliya village chairperson says the project has contributed nothing to changing the lives of the society since it has remained non-functional.
Oling says residents experiencing water shortage during the dry season have failed to collect water from the largest water reservoir being hosted at the centre over its non-functionality.
Luo bite
//Cue in: "Pii aa ki…
Cue out: "…dog kulu otwo-oo."//
Translation: There was a lots of water at the project site coming from Bwonagweno spring well. It used to flow freely to Unyama River and residents relied on it for horticulture and domestic purposes before it was rehabilitated to a modern fish project. Since then, the biggest reserve tanks have been collecting the entire water resource that should support residents. Now they don't have access to the water in the reserve tank. I think the dam should be opened up to residents.
John Peter Lanek, Gulu district fisheries officer says the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries is aware of the centre's non functionality.
Cue in: "The project is…
Cue out: "…going on site."//
Captain Okot Santos Lapolo, the Gulu resident district commissioner says the centre was built with loans from the African Development Bank.
Captain Lapolo says preliminary investigation indicates that the Ministry of Agriculture gave up on the centre after realising that its water pumping machine had been stolen. He said he has written to the Ministry and the Inspectorate of Government to investigate management of the centre.
When Uganda Radio Network visited the project site, the only person at the site was a watchman who requested anonymity. Most of the ponds at the facility are drying up due to drought.
