Members of Uganda’s parliament are urging government to expedite the extension of electricity to rural areas, emphasising its critical role in enhancing value addition within the agricultural sector. This call comes in the wake of discussions cantered on the implementation status of the Agriculture Cluster Development Project (ACDP) and interventions addressing food and animal feed security across the nation.
The ACDP, a six-year initiative under the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries, aims to raise on-farm productivity and increase marketable volumes of selected agricultural commodities in 12 specified clusters across 57 districts. The project, financed by a $150 million loan from the World Bank’s International Development Assistance, is seen as a cornerstone in the transformation of Uganda’s agriculture sector.
During a parliamentary session this week, chaired by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, several Members of Parliament voiced concerns about the lack of electricity in rural areas, which hampers efforts to decentralize production processing and value addition down to the parish level.
George Bhoka (NRM, Obongi County) highlighted the urgency of extending electricity to rural communities.
“This move is running under the rural electrification program, and if we do not manage it well, we are setting ourselves up for failure because we are producing but failing to add value due to the lack of electricity,” Bhoka asserted.
Similarly, Kassanda District Woman Representative, Flavia Nabagabe, underscored the challenges faced by local farmers due to the absence of transformers necessary for operating food processing machines provided under the ACDP.
“We have two maize milling groups in Kassanda which have failed to work because their machines have been rendered redundant. Is there a way we can finance the transformers to provide the needed electricity for these machines?” Nabagabe queried.
Rural development hindered by lack of electricity
Julius Tusiime (Indep., Rwampara East County) brought attention to the fact that of the 179 factories established in his district under the project, only 86 have managed to access electricity for production.
He called for a multi-sectoral approach to integrate all components of production, noting that even a water project in his constituency remains stalled due to the absence of electricity to pump water uphill.
The committee chairperson, Linda Auma, presented additional challenges faced by the project, particularly the issue of transportation. She noted that the poor condition of road chokes – non-tarmac roads that connect farmers to markets – has severely hampered the movement of agricultural products.
“The committee observed that all road chokes were either poorly constructed or suffered delays. There was a clear lack of supervision, and in some cases, the cost of construction was inflated without corresponding quality of work,” Auma reported.
Echoing these concerns, Solomon Chelangat (NRM, T’oo County) pointed out that the poor road infrastructure has also affected farmers in Bukwo District, limiting their ability to get produce to markets despite provisions made to improve market access roads.
Addressing the issues raised, the State Minister for Agriculture (Animal Husbandry), Bright Rwamirama, criticized contractors for taking on road choke construction projects without the necessary financial capacity. He supported the decision of his Permanent Secretary to withhold payment for incomplete work, stating, “If the choke is not done, we do not pay. This money went back to the Treasury rather than being paid for air.”
Rwamirama also called for the employment of more extension workers at the local government level and urged district leaders to actively monitor their work. The Minister for Local Government, Raphael Magyezi, attributed some of the challenges at the district level to the late release of funds.
In response to these issues, the House adopted a motion by Elijah Mushemeza (Indep., Sheema County South) urging the Auditor General to conduct a forensic audit of the ACDP and report the findings to Parliament.
As Uganda continues to strive for agricultural transformation, the discussions and decisions arising from this parliamentary session highlight the critical role of infrastructure – both electrical and road – in unlocking the full potential of rural agricultural communities.
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