Low revenue collections coupled with budgetary cuts are paralyzing service delivery in lower local governments in Kasese district.
The most affected are road and water maintenance, garbage collection, and payment of local government staff wages and allowances.
Wilson Asiimwe, the Lake Katwe Sub County LC III chairperson, says that the government reduced the sub-county allocation from over Shillings 60 million to a modest Shillings 22 million this quarter forcing them to halt some of their planned activities.
Yofesi Katonene, the Kitswamba Sub-county LC III chairperson, says that he and the staff are stuck in offices and unable to deliver services because there is no money to buy fuel and pay allowances for field activities.
He says that poor services are affecting the common people whose children can’t access schools and health centers due to bad roads.
Julius Kyasuba, the LC III chairperson of Mahango Sub County, says that they will not be able to maintain roads as earlier planned and are opting to mobilize the local community to do the work voluntarily.
Rughendabara Town Council LC III Chairperson, Daniel Kambale says the budget cuts have largely affected the operations of the town council especially maintaining the road network whose allocation shifted from Shillings 10 million to 3 million despite the deplorable condition of roads.
Similarly, the Kyarumba Sub County LC III chairperson, Jackson Baluku Muhuruka, says that the sub-county has not made any development on its financial year plan since the government allocation was reduced from Shillings 100 million to a mere Shillings 18 million.
Kasese district LC V Chairperson, Eliphazi Muhindi and Kasese mayor Chance Kahindo note that for local governments to fulfill their roles it means they will need a supplementary budget.
In September, the State Minister for Finance Henry Musasizi told parliament that due to financial hardships, the government was compelled to release only 10. 25 trillion Shillings instead of 14.57 trillion to cater for planned expenditures for the first quarter of the 202/23 financial year.
