National Resistance Movement party presidential candidate, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, is today in Kasese district, Rwenzori sub-region for his scientific campaigns. Museveni will meet and address a select team of NRM leaders including the youth and flag bearers of Rwenzori sub-region. He will ask for re-election through enumerating NRM achievements registered not only in the region but the entire country.
Kasese, a district in Western Uganda in Rwezori sub-region is located in the out skirts of mountain Rwenzori. Known as tourism district, Kasese has 29 sub counties, 12 town councils and 3 Divisions.
With NRM efforts, the district has acquired numerous developments in infrastructure, health, education, poverty alleviation programmes among others.
In infrastructure, Kasese district has relatively good road network. The roads that feed in Kasese district include Fort Portal-Kasese-Mpondwe road (134km), connecting the towns of Fort Portal, Hima, Kasese, Kikorongo and the border town of Mpondwe. Kikorongo-Ishaka road and Ishaka-Katunguru roads also link Kasese district with its neighbors. The district feeder road network is approximately 386.9km, the urban council road network is 346.9km, and the Sub County Community Access Roads is 2338km all of which are under maintenance.
In health sector, the district currently has 3 hospitals, 5 health centre IV, 42 health centre III and 69 health centre II. At least 90% parishes in Kasese district have a health centre unit implying a well distributed health services.
In water supply, Kasese district has a total population of 447,498 out of which 217,890 (57%) have access to safe water compared to 74% National average. There are currently 166 functional boreholes in the district.
Poverty alleviation schemes
In the Financial Year 2016/17 the NRM government introduced Women Entrepreneurship program to boost women group income generating activities for livelihood improvement. Since inception, 199 groups, 2439 beneficiaries have been funded with 962,835,700 shillings.
Under the Youth Livelihood Programme, 468 groups of vulnerable youth have been supported with improvement revolving funds in the district.
Through the Special Disability Grant, the people with disabilities have been empowered which has enabled them to engage in projects that enhance their level of income.
The Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment (SAGE) which was rolled out in the Financial Year 2018/19 to reduce poverty and social economic inequalities has since benefited 2,545 in the district.
In agriculture, the government introduced Agriculture Cluster Development Project (ACDP). This project is designed to promote the production of Maize and Coffee. Under this project, farmers are supported to access critical farm inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides through an e-voucher system.
Education
Kasese has 233 government primary schools with an enrollment of 81,472 boys and 87,276 girls. In secondary education, the district has 22 government aided secondary schools with enrollment of 11,526 students.
Before addressing the area NRM leaders, the president will take time off his campaigns to commission Ishaka-Katunguru road and Kasese Market.