Why Economic Monitoring Minister Hon. Akori has kicked off oversight inspection in West Nile, Lango

Why Economic Monitoring Minister Hon. Akori has kicked off oversight inspection in West Nile, Lango

The Office of the President through the Directorate of Socio-Economic Monitoring and Research in collaboration with the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, The National Building Review Board and the Internal Security Organization has kicked off an oversight inspection exercise of service delivery in the above sub-regions.

The exercise will be conducted in the Arua City and the sampled districts of Arua, Madi-Okollo, Adjumani, and pakwach in West Nile, Alebtong, Otuke, Amolatar, Kole and Oyam in Lango Sub-region.

According to Hon. Beatrice Akori Akello, the Minister of State for Economic Monitoring in the Office of the President, the oversight inspection exercise in West Nile and Lango sub regions will focus on Strategic investments that have been made in the Service Delivery areas of: Physical Infrastructure Development especially Roads and Energy; Human Resources Development in areas of Education, Skills Development, Health, Water and Sanitation; facilitating access to production inputs in Agriculture and Industry and promotion of Science, Technology and Innovation.

‘’The Government has undertaken several reforms and spent massive resources over the past two decades to enhance the quality of public services in Uganda as a means of reducing poverty and improving livelihoods among Ugandans’’, said Akori.

She added that despite the Government of Uganda’s commitment to improving Service Delivery, there is a general outcry by Citizens and Policymakers that resources have not resulted in effective Public Service Delivery and Poverty remains at high and unacceptable rates.

‘’About 39% of Ugandan households are still in the Subsistence Economy and many Ugandans are unable to access adequate and good quality Public Services in many parts of the Country’’, added Okori.

This oversight inspection exercise aims at assessing the implementation status of both Central and Local Government Projects/Programs with the aim of strengthening Accountability for Results and facilitating Learning.

‘’This is in line with the made of the office of the President and my mandate of carrying out Oversight Field Inspections/Monitoring to bring forward issues constraining service delivery for redress or Policy Review’’, she added.

Previously, the ministry has conducted similar exercises in Bunyoro, Busoga, Sebei, Bugisu Acholi, Greater Masaka, Kigezi, Ankole sub regions and Wakiso districts. During these exercises, issues that required the Chief Administrative Officers and Town Clerks to handle administratively were put to their attention for redress and the rest were referred to the responsible entities for further Management including corruption cases.

For example, in kanungu district, some projects that were abandoned were completed after committing the contractor, in Kalangala district; the Youth Livelihood funds stolen by the community development officer were recovered. The number of contracts awarded under a lot in the UGFIT program has been reduced from 5 to a maximum of two. Also out of the 117 case files opened, 4 officers had been charged in courts of law, 5 had corrective action under taken, 72 closed and 116 cases were underway waiting for completion of investigations.

In addition, several stakeholder meetings have been held to disseminate the field findings and also get the feedback on how far the MDAs and Local Governments are implementing the recommendations. Therefore, this oversight inspection exercise is one of our renewed impetus of ensuring improved service delivery and socio-economic transformation of our citizenry though effective monitoring of government policies, programmes and projects.

Akori noted that the Inspection will ensure constraints to effective service delivery are identified and actionable recommendations devised some of which will involve administrative actions, others further stakeholder engagements and Management that may result to prosecution and finally there could be need for Policy review.

It is for this reason that a Cabinet Information Paper shall be prepared detailing the above so as to ensure improved service delivery.