Minister of Finance (General Duties), Henry Musasizi, who also serves as the Rubanda East County Member of Parliament and NRM Chairperson for Rubanda District, has praised the notable progress the district has achieved under his leadership, particularly in terms of budget expansion.
“When I came to this district, the budget ranged between 24 and 45 billion shillings. Today, we have managed to attract up to 14.3 billion shillings through the Parish Development Model (PDM) alone. And that figure doesn’t even include funds released in the last six months,” he stated.
Minister Musasizi credited the district’s development to the NRM’s Massline system of service delivery, which focuses on broad-based access to essential services.
“If it is immunization, we go for mass immunization. If it’s education, we promote mass education, through Universal Primary and Secondary Education. The NRM aims to ensure that each sub-county has a secondary school, each parish has a primary school, every constituency has a Health Centre IV, and each district has at least one hospital. That is what we call the Massline approach,” he explained.
He further noted that the district has made major strides in infrastructure:
“In Rubanda District, we have already ensured that every parish or ward has a road that connects it to another. Nationally, we are committed to providing Shs. 100 million annually to each of the 105,894 parishes.”
Minister Musasizi made these remarks on Thursday while addressing women leaders from all 17 sub-counties and town councils of Rubanda District at Volcano Hotel.
Responding to critics who downplay the value of peace, he said, “I have heard some people say, ‘We don’t eat peace,’ when talking about the long-lasting peace brought by the NRM government. But it’s easy to make such statements if you’re not a refugee fleeing gun violence in the DRC. Those who were around before 1986 understand the value of peace and stability. President Museveni and the NRM brought a new, refreshing environment in which we can all live and thrive. We should remain grateful.”
Meanwhile, Rubanda District LC5 Chairman, Ampeire Stephen Kasyaba, urged the women leaders never to forget the transformative journey the NRM has led.
“In previous governments, women did not enjoy the freedom to participate in politics, let alone contest and win elections freely. The NRM has affirmatively empowered women, and it’s important to recognize and celebrate these achievements,” he said.
Kasyaba added that the NRM government has not only uplifted women politically but also economically.
“The Ministry of Gender is currently assessing women’s groups that received loans for income-generating activities. Some of these groups may soon qualify to receive Shs. 100 million as additional capital,” he revealed.
