NEWS- Members of Parliament on the Presidential affairs committee last week visited the Rubaare Sericulture production factory in Rubare Cell, Nyarwenshama ward, Sheema Central division in Sheema municipality to ascertain its non operationalization of production of Silk materials.
The MPs were led by the committee chairperson and also Adjuman district Woman Member of Parliament Jessica Ababiku.
In 2017, Sheema District local government signed a memorandum of understanding with Uganda National Council of science and technology (UNCST) to rent about 26 hectares of the district farm land for ten years to establish sericulture and apiculture project but since then it has not been operational due to inadequate funding from the government.
It is said that the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation last financial year halted 40Bn shillings that was requested by the Tropical Institute of Development Innovations (TRIDI) to support the operationalization of the project.
During the visit, MPs observed that the facility had not been operational for two years and that the workers had not been paid for 5 months.
Jessica Ababiku tasked the district leaders to explain why the factory remained un functional even when the government injected a lot of money to bust the project.
Jemimah Buhanda, the sheema LC5 chairperson, told the committee that after the memorandum of understanding another company called Tropical Institute of Development Innovations (TRIDI) which is headed by Dr. Clet Wandui Matsiga was contracted by the Uganda National Council of Science and Technology (UNCST) to start the process of production, but they did not continue after procuring old machinery that could not support the production process.
Steven Kangwangye,the Bukanga County member of Parliament, wondered why the machinery had been lying idle outside the factory and were being exposed to sunshine and rain.
“This is total corruption. How do you leave the whole of this machinery which costs the government a lot of money to be distracted and sunshineâ Kangwangye said.
âI want to tell you that the president supports innovations, but he does not want this kind of corruption and un seriousness. Therefore, you should come up and shame all those who want to put this project down.”
The committee promised to make a report to Parliament on their findings to come up with a way forward.
