Museveni donates 31 heifers to single parish in Mukono, promises to add them more cows, goats, pigs

President Yoweri Museveni has donated 31 heifers to households in Wankoba parish in Nakisunga sub county, Mukono District.

The heifers are part of the strategic interventions in the Office of the President aimed at alleviating poverty from the poorest areas in Uganda through the Presidential Initiative Against Hunger and Poverty program.

What has happened?

On Saturday, June 10, Mukono district’s deputy RDC Mike Ssegawa in the company of Mubarak Sekikubo, Nakisunga sub county LC3 chairman, oversaw the handover of the heifers to the eager beneficiaries who had undergone several trainings in the management of the hybrid animals.

Mr Ssegawa tweeted after the event:

@MikeSsegawa: On behalf of President @KagutaMuseveni I handed over 14 heifers to residents of Wankoba parish Nakisunga sub county under the Presidential Poverty Alleviation Department. Thank u chairman Nakisunga Mubarak Sekikubo & Madam Joan Kakwenzire for lobbying these projects 2 our people.

 https://twitter.com/MikeSsegawa/status/1667483491028680704?s=20

Numbers

Mr Museveni through the head of the Poverty Alleviation Department under State House, Mrs Joan Kakwenzire, mapped out Wankoba and other parishes as areas in need of strategic efforts to turn around the livelihoods of the people. Wankoba is one of the eight parishes making up Nakisunga sub county, it is also the biggest parish in the sub county with 11 villages.

In February this year, Mr Museveni sent 17 heifers which were distributed in three villages to well trained beneficiaries. This time round, another round of 14 in-calf heifers were handed over to excited farmers at the event which took place at Mwanyanjiri Playground, which Deputy RDC Mike Ssegawa witnessed.

What they said

The LC3 chairman appreciated President Museveni for the special attention which has uplifted the livelihoods of people of Wankoba, a parish which he says has consistently voted for President Museveni and National Resistance Movement overwhelmingly over the years.

“Wankoba parish has 11 villages and is the biggest parish in the sub county, which votes President Museveni and NRM in high numbers.”

He added that previously residents in this parish could not afford two meals a day. However, through capacity development programs under State House’s PAD, coupled with other programs such as Parish Development Model and Emyooga, the fortunes of this parish are witnessing a positive trend towards fighting poverty.

Sekikubo said the next phase involves the formation of saccos where members benefitting from this project will save as they wait for more support from this program.

Mike Ssegawa warned residents against laziness, he asked them instead to build on the momentum Madam Kakwenzire has set in their midst to create wealth in their households and villages to fight poverty from their families for good. He warned them against the temptations of selling the animals and instead worked with local and district security leaderships to protect their animals from thefts.

Ms Nuru Nakubulwa, the assistant agricultural officer working with SPA Kakwenzire’s department, said their program has five key pillars targeting households including sanitation and hygiene, food production, household incomes, value addition and Savings and Credit societies. She said farmers in the villages who asked for hybrid goats and pigs as well as banana, potato and cassava seeds, will be catered for soon.

Ms Nakubulwa cautioned the beneficiaries against selling or neglecting the heifers since that move would attract criminal charges against them.

Deputy RDC Mike Ssegawa said President Museveni has consistently shown interest in the prosperity of the common person, and Mukono residents should take a lead in ensuring this project succeeds to impact positively on the entire parish.

“Take care of these heifers like you do for your babies or yourself. This animal can change your life because its milk and other by-products including cow dung are wealth multipliers.” Ssegawa said.