Leaders in Rubanda decry low Budgets for the youth

By Moses Agaba

Rubanda

Youth leaders in Rubanda district have decried low funds allocated to the district youth sector from the ministry of gender every financial year which they say is not enough to monitor government programs involving the youth and conduct workshops for their benefit.

These said this on Wednesday during the consultative workshop ahead of the district budget conference for the financial year 2023 – 2024 where they used the platform to show their dissatisfaction with the government about the low funds allocated to the youth every financial year.

Wilfred Arinda, the Rubanda district LC5 Youth Councilor the district receives Ugx 4 million from the office of the youth every financial year which he says is not enough to sustain youth programs such as when resolutions are passed by the district youth council, there are no resources to follow up and on the sub-county level, youth never meet because there are no funds to facilitate the meetings.

Clare Musimenta The district female youth representative, appeals to the Rubanda district local government to consider funding and conducting workshops for the youth at least twice in a financial year aiming at skilling and sensitizing the youth adding that there should also be executive meetings to know what affects the youth on the village level.

Stephen Ampeire Kasyaba the Rubanda district LC5 chairperson says that the district receives the youth funds directly from the ministry of gender to the district youth sector. He however appeals to the youth to come up with a work plan to be used to lobby for them more funding saying that is difficult to lobby for more funding without a work plan.

On the same function, Kasyaba highlighted the projects the district is going to work on in phase one of the 2022 – 2023 budgets which include the construction of the DHO’s office and Bubaare town council offices, fence of the district headquarters, and supply equipment in the district veterinary laboratory among many others.

Presiding over the function, the CAO, of Rubanda district says that the budget for the financial year 2023 -2024 seeks to restore the economy back to a medium term under the theme ‘full monetarization of Uganda’s economy through commercial agriculture, industrialization, expanding and broadening services, digital transformation, and market access.’

The Discretionary Development Equalization Grant, DDEG for the Rubanda district has increased from Ugx 120million to Ugx 291 million