By Edgar Barigye
First and foremost, I want to congratulate President Museveni for taking swift and decisive action against KCCA officials responsible for the mismanagement of the Kiteezi garbage project, which resulted in a devastating tragedy. The President’s bold decision to dismiss the culpable officials sends a strong message that corruption, negligence, and incompetence will not be tolerated anymore in this country. This assertive move demonstrates Museveni’s commitment to accountability, transparency, and the well-being of Ugandans. By taking immediate action, he has shown that leaders must be held responsible for their actions and that the government will not shield those who compromise public safety and trust.
So, I applaud President Museveni’s decisive action against KCCA officials, but I eagerly await similar investigations in other institutions, where corruption and mismanagement may be lurking. Only a comprehensive cleanup will restore public trust and ensure Uganda’s development. Do you know that the recent disagreement between President Museveni and Speaker Anita Among on the 4-acre model farming initiative in Northern Uganda may have been avoidable had the Ministry of Agriculture effectively created massive awareness about the project? Insufficient sensitization and education on the initiative’s benefits, implementation strategies, and potential impact likely led to misconceptions and reservations among stakeholders, including the Speaker.
The Ministry’s failure to disseminate clear information through various channels, engage local leaders, and involve communities in the planning process may have resulted in the apparent disconnect. Robust awareness campaigns, farmer outreach programs, and capacity-building initiatives could have fostered a better understanding of the initiative’s transformative potential, aligning stakeholders and ensuring a cohesive approach to agricultural development in Northern Uganda.
While Uganda has made strides in decentralizing power and creating new districts since 2005, the Ministry’s inaction on this front raises questions about its commitment to grassroots development. Is it a lack of capital, land, or societal willingness to adopt new farming practices? Whatever the reason, the Ministry must take responsibility for not providing the necessary support and infrastructure to farmers. By now, we should be seeing thriving model farms in every district, showcasing innovative techniques and inspiring local communities to drive socio-economic change. Instead, the Ministry’s inaction threatens to undermine the very transformation President Museveni has championed.
For instance, putting a 4-acre initiative aside, we all know that President Museveni introduced the chicks Project as a strategic initiative aimed at transforming Uganda’s agricultural sector, enhancing food security, and improving livelihoods but what has the Ministry of Agriculture done to further this project mazima? By distributing chicks to rural farmers, President Museveni seeks to boost poultry production, increase protein availability, and reduce poverty levels. We also widely know that the project aims to empower women and youth, promoting entrepreneurship and economic independence.
Furthermore, the initiative aligns with the National Development Plan (NDP) and Vision 2040, focusing on agricultural modernization, job creation, and household income enhancement. Additionally, the project addresses Uganda’s reliance on imported poultry products, promoting self-sufficiency and economic growth. By supporting small-scale farmers, Museveni’s Chicks Project fosters inclusive growth, improves nutrition, and contributes to Uganda’s attainment of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)and I have been talking about all this through our Twende Kazi Youth Project. Isn’t this a wonderful idea that would help to eradicate poverty from our homesteads and entire society? However, it seems this wonderful program is being abused by the people with the ekipakasi spirit who should be furthering it.
Recently, I had a chance encounter on a means of public transport from Masaka City to Kampala City. A fellow passenger shared his frustrating experience with the government’s chicks program. His story echoed the concerns of many Ugandans. I had left him and dozed off because his stories initially seemed not to be adding up but what woke me from sleep was when he said “The chicks distributed haven’t benefited much of Ugandans,” he said. “Starters aren’t trained on how to rear chicken successfully, leading to high mortality rates. I have seen the same faces coming to pick chickens from distribution points year after year, instead of progressing to become successful entrepreneurs.”
First and foremost, the passenger’s experience underscores the need for effective training for starters on chicken rearing. Effective training is crucial for farmers, particularly starters, to ensure the success of the Government Chicks Project. Comprehensive training should cover theoretical knowledge, practical skills, business and entrepreneurship, and risk management. Theoretical knowledge includes poultry breeds, nutrition, health, and breeding, while practical skills encompass chicken handling, coop management, feeding, and health monitoring. Business and entrepreneurship training should focus on market analysis, business planning, financial literacy, and marketing strategies.
Training methods should be diverse, including classroom training, on-farm training, mentorship, and workshops. Training materials should comprise manuals, visual aids, and online resources. Introductory training for starters should last 2-3 days, while advanced training for experienced farmers should span 5-7 days. Training providers may include government agencies, NGOs, CBOs, and private sector companies. To ensure effectiveness, monitoring and evaluation should involve pre-and post-training assessments, on-farm visits, and feedback mechanisms.
By providing comprehensive training, farmers will acquire essential skills and knowledge, minimizing mistakes and maximizing benefits. Effective training will empower farmers to manage risks, improve productivity, and increase income. As Uganda strives to achieve middle-income status, initiatives like the Government Chicks Project, backed by robust training programs, will drive agricultural growth, enhance food security, and reduce poverty. With well-trained farmers, the project’s success will have far-reaching benefits for Uganda’s agricultural sector and national development.
After effective training, there should be continuous support from extension workers. Continuous support from extension workers is vital for the success of the Government Chicks Project. Extension workers play a crucial role in providing technical guidance, monitoring progress, and addressing challenges faced by farmers. Their support ensures that farmers receive timely advice on best practices, disease management, and nutrition, enabling them to optimize production and productivity.
Key aspects of continuous support include regular farm visits, phone consultations, and text messaging services. Extension workers should also facilitate access to inputs, markets, and credit facilities. Additionally, they should conduct training sessions, workshops, and demonstrations to enhance farmers’ skills and knowledge. To ensure effectiveness, extension workers should; conduct regular needs assessments, develop personalized support plans, monitor progress and provide feedback, facilitate peer-to-peer learning, and collaborate with other stakeholders.
By providing continuous support, extension workers will empower farmers to overcome challenges, improve productivity, and increase income. This support will foster a culture of innovation, experimentation, and continuous learning, driving the project’s success and contributing to Uganda’s agricultural growth and development.
Government officials should also know that implementing robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems is crucial for the Government Chicks Project’s success. M&E systems track progress, identify challenges, and inform decision-making. Effective M&E ensures accountability, transparency, and efficiency, enabling stakeholders to assess the project’s impact and make data-driven decisions.
Key components of robust M&E systems could include; clear indicators and targets, regular data collection and analysis, quarterly progress reports, annual impact assessments, stakeholder feedback mechanisms, and mid-term and end-term evaluations. By implementing robust M&E systems, the Government Chicks Project will: track farmer participation and beneficiary numbers, monitor chicken mortality rates and productivity, evaluate training effectiveness and knowledge retention, assess economic impacts on households and communities, identify areas for improvement and adjust strategies, ensure accountability and transparency in resource utilization. This enables stakeholders to; measure progress toward project goals, identify and address challenges promptly, optimize resource allocation, scale up successful interventions, and inform policy and future programming.
I personally think that if the government is to address these challenges, stakeholders must collaborate to provide comprehensive training. Collaboration among stakeholders is crucial to provide comprehensive training for the Government chicks project, ensuring farmers acquire essential skills and knowledge to succeed. By partnering with agricultural experts, NGOs, CBOs, and private sector entities, the government can leverage resources, expertise, and best practices to deliver high-quality training. This collective effort will enable farmers to receive holistic training encompassing poultry management, nutrition, health, marketing, and business management.
Effective collaboration will also facilitate mentorship programs, on-farm demonstrations, and peer-to-peer learning, bridging knowledge gaps and enhancing farmers’ capacity to adapt to changing market demands. Moreover, collaboration will foster a culture of innovation, experimentation, and continuous learning, driving project sustainability and scalability. Key collaborators include the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Uganda Poultry Association, National Agricultural Research Organization, and international organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Ensure extension workers’ presence in every district and sub-county. Ensuring the presence of extension workers in every district and sub-county is vital for the success of the Government Chicks Project. By deploying trained extension workers at the grassroots level, farmers will have access to timely guidance, technical support, and expertise, bridging the knowledge gap and enhancing their productivity. Extension workers will provide hands-on training, conduct regular farm visits, and offer personalized advice on poultry management, disease control, and marketing. This localized support will facilitate quick response to emerging challenges; improve disease surveillance, and foster peer-to-peer learning among farmers. Moreover, extension workers will facilitate linkages to inputs, markets, and credit facilities, empowering farmers to make informed decisions and improve their livelihoods. To achieve this, the government should recruit and train additional extension workers, ensuring a ratio of at least 1:1000 farmers, and establish functional extension services in every district and sub-county.
Implement robust monitoring and evaluation systems. Implementing robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems is critical to the success of the Government Chicks Project, ensuring accountability, transparency, and data-driven decision-making. A well-designed M&E framework will track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as farmer participation, chick mortality rates, egg production, and household income. Regular monitoring will identify areas of improvement, inform corrective actions, and measure progress toward project goals. Advanced data analytics and information technology will enhance data collection, storage, and analysis. Quarterly progress reports, annual impact assessments, and stakeholder feedback mechanisms will foster accountability and transparency. The M&E system will also assess the project’s economic, social, and environmental impact, informing policy and future programming. By investing in robust M&E, the government will optimize resource allocation, scale up successful interventions, and make evidence-based decisions to achieve sustainable project outcomes and transformative impact.
In light of the challenges with agricultural extension services, I think local farmers can take proactive steps to enhance their skills and optimize the Government Chicks Project’s benefits. Farmers can form cooperatives or groups, pooling resources to hire knowledgeable experts or private sector extension services to provide specialized training. This community-driven approach enables farmers to access tailored guidance on poultry management, disease control, and marketing. By employing skilled trainers, farmers can fill knowledge gaps and improve productivity. Additionally, farmer groups can facilitate peer-to-peer learning and experience sharing, negotiate better input prices and market access, enhance collective bargaining power and foster community ownership and project sustainability.
Empowering local farmers to take charge of their capacity-building needs ensures the Chicks Project’s success, despite potential gaps in government extension services. This grassroots approach also encourages innovation, entrepreneurship, and self-reliance, aligning with President Museveni’s vision for agricultural transformation.
Conclusively, the truth of the matter is that President Museveni’s innovative ideas for Uganda’s development are hindered by the lack of patriotic individuals to implement them. It seems like some people entrusted with implementation are stuck in the “ekipakasi spirit,” a mindset that prioritizes personal gain over national progress. To break free from this entanglement, President Museveni needs a team of individuals who embody the values of patriotism, integrity, and selflessness.
This requires a shift in mindset, where leaders prioritize the nation’s well-being over personal interests as he plan for the next five years. So, it’s indeed correct to begin holding leaders accountable for their actions and ensure they prioritize national interests, strengthening institutions to prevent corruption and promote transparency, and encouraging active citizenship and community involvement in development initiatives.
By addressing these areas, Uganda can foster a culture of patriotism and collective responsibility, ultimately unlocking the potential of President Museveni’s innovative ideas.
The author is CEO Pamoja Communal Empowerment Network / [email protected]
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