Minister Magyezi in Kasese

NEWS- Hon. Raphael Magyezi, the Minister for local government, has warned officials who are handling parish development model in Kasese District to avoid civil servants from benefiting on the project.

According to the Minister, the project is for people who are in Subsistence farming and aims at helping them to improve agriculture for socio-economic transformation.

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The Minister was talking at the official commissioning of a six billion project aimed at improving health services in Kasese District at Mt. St. Mary’s Hospital in Kasese town.

The project that is owned by the Diocese of Kasese was commissioned by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni who was represented by Minister Magyezi and blessed by the Diocesan Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Francis Aquirinus Kibira.

In his speech, Hon. Magezi revealed that the government was committed to supporting the project with Ugx. 283 million quarterly as Primary Health Care Fund.

The Minister also stressed that the government would procure an ambulance for the facility to be able handle some emergencies.

In his remarks, the State Minister for ICT and National Guidance, Hon. Godfrey Baluku Kabbyanga Kime, who appreciated the initiative by the Diocese of Kasese, appealed to the leaders in Kasese district to work towards turning the local government into a medical tourism area through the establishment of more health facilities that offer specialized treatment to the people in need.

Minister Kabbyanga also noted that the government was committed to revamping Kilembe Mines Hospital so that it continues offering health services to the employees of the Kilembe Mines Limited and the surrounding communities.

Chance Kahindo, the Kasese Municipality Mayor, who also appreciated the project, called upon other religious denominations to also initiate more projects, saying they facilitate development in the district.

Hon. Ferigo Kambale, the Kasese Municipality Member of Parliament commended efforts of the Diocese of Kasese towards the establishment of Mt. St. Mary’s Hospital that will be offering specialized services to his electorate.

Kambale however, challenged the Health workers to double their efforts as they give services to the patients so that lives are saved unlike in the past where patients would die in hands of the medics.

According to him, the health workers need to offer quick and recommendable services to the people who visit the health facility seeking medication.

The Bishop of the Diocese of Kasese revealed that 80% of the funds that have been used to construct Mt. St. Mary’s Hospital are donations to the Diocese by the Government of Germany.

The function was graced by other high profile ranking officials including the Rwenzururu King, Omusinga Charles Wesley Mumbere Iremangoma and his wife, Her Highness Agnes Ithungu Asiimawe and the two retired Bishops of South Rwenzori Diocese, Rt. Rev. Zebedee Kahangwa Masereka and Rt. Rev. Jackson Thembo Nzerebende.

Relatedly, the Minister of local government Raphael Magyezi has urged tea farmers not to cut off their plantations due to the current price fluctuations as this situation is temporary.

The Minister noted that the government has set Monday next week to discuss matters of the tea to ensure that prices become normal and appetitive to the farmers.

He made these remarks while officiating at the graduation ceremony of JJ Excel College in Kigoma kizinda town council, Bushenyi district where he attributed the challenge to poor quality which cannot meet the international market standards.

Magyezi called upon councils to enact by – laws that govern and control the harvesting and processing of tea on ground to ensure that the standards are maintained compared to neighboring countries.

The tea leaves  price has dropped from 1.9 to 0.65 USD per kilogram, adding that the cost of harvesting itself has become so high as compared to what the farmers are getting.

As a result, after losing hope, some frustrated tea farmers in the sub counties of Kyamuhunga, Bitooma, and Ruhumuro in Bushenyi district have started uprooting their crops to venture into other business.