PRESIDENT MUSEVENI PROMISES WATER, ROADS TO KAZO PEOPLE                                                                          

BY FEDNAND/JOSHUA

KAZO

President Museveni on Friday afternoon asked the people of Kazo District in the Ankole sub-region to vote NRM again in the forthcoming election as one of the ways to protect the gains achieved in the last five years.

Speaking during a rally at Kazo Model Primary School grounds, Museveni pledged to work on the requests for tarmacking area roads and extending water.

“The road to Kazo–Burunga–Mpara to Kyegegwa and Karuguza, I know it very well. I got to know it while going to attack Kabamba. We have contracted the Chinese to start working on it,” Museveni said.

He also promised to extend piped water to the majority of villages in Kazo.

“There is no way we can fail to get piped water from Katonga to this place. We shall do it,” he said.

He added that new boreholes would be drilled in Kyampangara, Burunga, Kazo, and Nkungu sub-counties, alongside the installation of rainwater harvesting systems for schools to improve education and hygiene. He also mentioned the designing and construction of the Rwakakungu–Bugarihe piped water system to serve multiple villages.

“There is no way we can fail to get piped water from Katonga to this place. We shall do it,” he said.

He added that new boreholes would be drilled in Kyampangara, Burunga, Kazo, and Nkungu sub-counties, alongside the installation of rainwater harvesting systems for schools to improve education and hygiene. He also mentioned the designing and construction of the Rwakakungu–Bugarihe piped water system to serve multiple villages.

Request

Museveni’s pledges followed a request by former Minister for Works, Eng. John Nasasira, who specifically mentioned tarmacking one of the main roads in the area and extending piped water.

“In 2016, you came here on a rally and we asked you for a district,” Nasasira recalled. “You fulfilled that promise, and in 2019 we got Kazo District.”

He noted that the elevation to district status has since attracted more government resources.

“After giving us a district, you started sending us resources for development,” he said, praising the NRM Secretariat for “one of the most organised campaigns” he has seen. “I have no doubt we shall win with a landslide victory.”

Nasasira reminded the government of pending issues, particularly the long-promised Kazo–Kyegegwa tarmac road.

“You promised this road to us, but it hasn’t yet been worked on. We request that it be prioritised,” he said.

He also raised concerns over limited access to clean water in the district.

“Kazo has very little water, especially for drinking. We ask you to get us piped water so that our people can live better lives,” he appealed.

Currently, out of the 346 villages in Kazo District, 138 have access to safe water, representing a coverage of 40%. This leaves 208 villages (60%) without access to safe water.

Nasasira expressed appreciation for the establishment of a technical institute in the area, but said it remains underutilised due to inadequate staffing and equipment.

“We thank you for bringing us the technical institute, but it has no equipment and not enough teachers,” he said.

Museveni Responds

Listing seven contributions of the NRM to Uganda, Museveni said peace has been the bedrock of all the development that Kazo and the country at large have attained.

He cited health facilities in the district that have been set up.

“Previously, there was no health facility apart from a dispensary here. However, now you have one health centre IV and seven health centre IIIs. Only two sub-counties are without health centre IIIs. The plan is to elevate Kazo Health Centre IV to a district hospital,” Museveni said.

He also promised to upgrade Rwamuranga Health Centre II in Kazo Sub-county and Migina Health Centre II in Migina Sub-county to health centre IIIs.

Museveni also mentioned the ongoing construction of medical stores and a mortuary at Kazo Health Centre IV funded by the World Bank.