Government to start paying tobacco farmers next week

KAKUMIRO, UGANDA: Robinah Nabbanja the Prime Minister of Uganda has assured tobacco farmers that the government of Uganda is planning to start paying them next week after reaching an agreement with the affected farmers.

The prime minister who also doubles as the Kakumiro District Woman representative revealed this on Tuesday evening during the Kakumiro District Roads committee meeting at the District Headquarters.

Nabbanja said with the advice from the office of the Attorney general, government will proceed to pay tobacco farmers who have been demanding money from Tobacco companies such as Continental tobacco limited and Nimatabac limited for several years.

“We are going to pay tobacco farmers starting next week because our ministry has already resolved all the challenges, we challenged by the Lawyer for Continental tobacco limited who refused to agree with the Government to sign a memorandum of understanding, and therefore I was advised by the attorney general to engage the affected Farmers to sign and Nimatabac limited so we start the payment and also put Continental tobacco limited in courts of law”. Hon. Nabbanja said

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister also cautioned District roads Committees in the country to ensure that they monitor both paper accountabilities and actual groundwork to curb the challenges of misuse of public funds.

“We have been in the district roads Committee and therefore am requesting the committee to use the current drought conditions to construction and rehabilitate more roads, currently Kakumiro District roads are in critical conditions so we also need an accountability such that every member gets satisfied with the funds they got in the first quarter”. The prime minister added.

Fred Byamukama the state Minister of Transport and Works and Bugangaizi West MP cautioned districts against the use of Road funds to purchase monitoring vehicles instead of working on the roads.

“People are using road funds to buy vehicles that will help them during supervision of government projects, and they bring to us an accountability that we have bought a car worth a given amount instead of working on the roads, nowadays government made districts small by creating more districts so am warning those who have been using the road funds for vehicle purchase to stop with immediate effect”. Hon. Byamukama said.