President Yoweri Museveni will next week resume his countrywide zonal tours to monitor wealth creation initiatives and promote socio-economic transformation in the country.
According to the Vice President Maj. (Rtd) Jessica Alupo, the president will begin with Bukeddi, Karamoja, Ssebei, Bugisu, Teso, Busoga and Lango sub-region in an effort to complete the remaining 15 sub-regions.
The presidential tours started last year under the theme: “Wealth creation and Prosperity for all with emphasis on Four-Acre Model, Parish Development Model, Emyooga and other Government livelihood Programmes”.
President has so far visited Acholi, West Nile and Greater Masaka sub-regions.
While addressing Members of Parliament from Bukeddi, Teso and Karamoja sub-regions at Parliament, ahead of the presidential tours next week, Alupo noted that the population was so enthusiastic with Museveni’s previous visits to their regions.
“The population actively participated in the open Barazas. They volunteered information affecting the implementation of government programs,” Alupo said.
She further noted that the open accountability program of the presidential tours led to reduced mismanagement of PDM, Emyooga, and other service delivery funds by the usual suspects.
Alupo also noted the mobilization in the zonal tours has led to more people joining the money economy as people proved through the zonal tours that the livelihood programmes are meant to sustainably benefit them.
“The Baraza’s provided an opportunity for the local government leaders to openly and freely interact with government ministers and technical officers from ministries on issues of service delivery,” she said.
The vice president who is also the chair of the presidential Tours, urged MPs to be vigilant in supervising government programs aimed at improving Ugandans’ livelihood.
The Katakwi Woman member of Parliament also told fellow MPs that the zonal tours have supported mobilization to enable the 39percent of the population that was originally outside the money economy to join the money economy.
She however added that the midterm review report is awaited to ascertain the real statistics.
”The tours created a platform for the population to expose the corrupt officials who were misusing the government funds and as a result of the open exposition, there’s reduction on corruption cases in the zones so far visited”. she noted.
Alpo further appealed to MPs to offer maximum cooperation as they did during the previous presidential sub-regions tours.
The preparatory meeting was also attended by State Minister Disability Hellen Asamo, Minister for Ethics and Integrity Rose Lilly Akello, Principal Private Secretary to the President Gloria Asio, Commissioner for National Secretariat for Patriotism, Hellen Seku among others.
