State Minister for Bunyoro Affairs, Grace Mary Mugasa, has promised to monitor and evaluate civil servants’ performance, including RDCs and RCCs, in the sub-region, citing mismanagement of public funds and poor implementation of government programs.

Mugasa was speaking during the official launch of the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF IV) project implementation in Bunyoro.

The project, she said, will reduce poverty by supporting PWDs, youth, and breastfeeding mothers in Bunyoro and eight other sub-regions of the country.

She wondered why the local communities continue to live under the poverty line despite different government interventions to improve community livelihoods.

The minister cited different government programs, including PDM, UWEP, and Emyooga, which are putting communities at the forefront to fight against poverty.

Minister Mugasa also cited irresponsibility among civil servants who fail to monitor and ensure proper implementation of the programs.

“Why would we have Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), Resident City Commissioners (RCCs) and their deputies in place plus DISOs, PISOs, VISOs but still have no work done?” she asked.

Meanwhile, Mugasa said there is a need for a region-wide evaluation of the civil servants to ensure better implementation of different government programs to the local communities.

“Therefore, any civil servants who are planning to utilise the money for personal gain, like what happened with Emyoga, PDM, UWEP, YLP, should go slow,” she advised.

The government of Uganda, with support from the World Bank, will implement the NUSAF IV project in 104 local governments in sub-regions such as Bunyoro, Busoga, Karamoja, Acholi, Lango, among others.

In Bunyoro sub-region, the five-year project costing US$276 million is intended to boost 459,000 poor people.

Beatrice Akello Akori, State Minister for Northern Uganda, said that the program will benefit communities outside other currently existing government programs, including PDM.

Akori emphasised the need for communities’ mindset change in order to make the program a success.

Officials from the Office of the Prime Minister noted the rise in the country and that is why they have decided to come up with the project.

Dr Robert Limlim, the Coordinator of the project, said NUSAF IV will largely be implemented in 83 districts and 21 urban centers, municipalities and cities.

Edward Isingoma, Hoima City Council Mayor, disclosed that they have a challenge of urban poverty, which is very difficult to manage. “When people are poor, they will do desperate things.”

“Poverty remains an issue paralysing many, especially in the urban cities, and it’s a key driver of immoral acts like theft and robbery among communities, especially the youths,” Isingoma said at the launch.