The Minister for General Duties in the Office of the Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Justine Kasule Lumumba carried out a two days Monitoring and Evaluation exercise in the districts of Isingiro and Kamwenge which host the largest number of refugees in the areas of Nakivela in Isingiro and Nteziryazo in Kamwenge
The Minister was Monitoring and Evaluating different projects implemented by government under Development Response to Displacement Impact Project (DRDIP) in the communities which host refugees in both districts
The DRDIP is a 5 year government program funded by World bank to a tune of $250,000 as a credit and $150,000 as grant , the program is managed under the Office of the Prime Minister with full supervision and oversight roles in the Office of the Minister for General Duties headed by Rt. Hon Justine Kasule Lumumba
The DRDIP program is carried out in 15 refugee hosting districts of Adjumani, Arua, Hoima, Isingiro, Kamwenge, Kikube and others. The program focuses on four major systemic areas and product components which include; Economic services and infrastructure, sustainable Environment management, Livelihood programs and policy, accountability support and administration
The DRDIP has set up different projects in both districts of Isingiro and Kamwenge to help the refugee hosting communities and other vulnerable individuals/groups to fully adopt and improve on they social economic well-being.
During her two days program, the Minister visited different villages to assess the impact of projects set up in those areas. She was accompanied by a team of technocrats from DRDIP and Monitoring & Evaluation department in Office of the Prime Minister, and elected leaders from those districts; Members of Parliament, Hon. Bright Rwamirama (MP of Isingiro and State Minister for Agriculture) and other MPs, RDCs as well as Local Government leaders in the two districts led by the LC.5 District Chairpersons and technocrats by Chief Administrative Officers, and DRDIP contractors in-charges of implementing projects, water stations supply in Endinzi village, Health centers in Kyarugaju in Isingiro as well Bisozi Health Center III, classroom blocks in Nteziryazo primary school in Nteziryazo refugee camp in Kamwenge district and others.
The Minister toured newly completed Kamwenge District administration blocks and also visited Rushango bridge constructed in Kamwenge to connect four major refugee communities.
She also visited Mpanga Milk storing/reservation project in Kamwenge district
In her remarks, the Minister tasked locals and their leaders to fully engage and preserve the different projects set up by government under DRDIP, she encouraged them to fully utilize all the programs government has set up under the leadership of H.E President Museveni to develop themselves both economically and socially to improve on their standards of living
However during her monitoring and evaluation exercise, locals in both districts sited out different challenges affecting them which included bad roads , electricity, and lack of start up capital by some to do business which needs government intervention.
In her response the Minister promised them more government commitment on improving the welfare of refugee hosting communities and she assured them that the findings and their views will be present to Cabinet and President of Uganda
