The State Minister for Environment, Ms Aisha Sekindi, has called for proper planning and training of beneficiaries before government programmes are rolled out.
While meeting agricultural stakeholders in Bubare Sub-county in Mbarara District at the weekend, Ms Sekindi said the programmes are failing because they are just dumped on locals.
“Government has had several programmes to empower communities out of poverty such as Entandikwa and Emyooga but all these have been messed up because they are dumped on communities without training, and sensitisation. I pray the parish development model does not follow suit,” she said.
Ms Sekindi said government ministries and departments should use existing centres and institutions of excellence to offer hands-on skills to communities.
“Even in my plans to extend water to communities, we will make sure we work with communities and private players to ensure we don’t just give water but attach it to social-economic transformation. If we don’t, people will get excited because they have been connected, but will remain the same,” the minister said.
Mr Seith Mworozi, an agricultural officer with Mbarara City North, said the challenge has been lack of funds.
“They just budget for these programmes without enough money to do trainings. Emyooga caused uproar because of the delay due to lack of training beneficiaries,” Mr Mworozi said.
The executive director of Excel Hort Consult an agribusiness incubation herb, Prof Alex Ariho, said communities get excited with programmes because it involves money.
“Those implementing such programmes are possibly driven by similar motives, that’s why communities continue to linger in poverty despite several government programmes given to them,” Prof Ariho said.