President Museveni has said he will shift government focus from roads and prioritise the fight against poverty at household level in his new five-year term.
Speaking as chief guest at the consecration of the Rt Rev Vincent Kirabo Amooti as the new bishop of Hoima Diocese yesterday, President Museveni said his government will put more focus on efforts geared towards wealth creation in homes.
“The people are thirsty for more inputs. Tell your MPs that before increasing their salaries, they should prioritise allocating sufficient funds for seeds,” the President said.
Government sets out its priorities in the National Budget, which is debated and passed by Parliament. For many years, MPs have complained about the small budget allocated to agriculture.
Bishop Kirabo, the fourth to serve in Hoima Diocese, was installed by Mbabara Archbishop Paul Bakyenga at Bujumbura Cathedral in Hoima Town.
President Museveni donated a brand new Pajero to the new bishop. The President said UPDF soldiers are supplying farm inputs to households under the wealth creation programme but the supplies are insufficient.
He said the MPs in the 10th Parliament should work with government to allocate funds that are sufficient to provide adequate seeds, especially for perennial crops, for each homestead.
“We want to fight poverty, increase household incomes so that people are happy, meet their needs, prosper and also enable them contribute taxes to government,” he said.
Pope Francis appointed Bishop Kirabo on November 30, 2015, a few days after visiting Uganda during his tour of selected African states.
The Hoima Municipality Mayor, Ms Grace Mugasa, had earlier asked the President to donate a bus to St Andrea Kaahwa’s College, a Catholic-founded secondary school, and invite a delegation from Hoima Diocese and Hoima Municipality to deliberate on development matters of the two entities. The President donated a bus and welcomed the delegation to meet him.
Bishop Kirabo, thanked Pope Francis for the appointment.
“I felt humbled to be chosen as bishop. I won’t work alone. We shall work together, trusting in the power of God,” he said in his inaugural address.
Archbishop Bakyenga asked Bishop Kirabo and all Christians to emulate Pope Francis in caring for the poor, strangers and the homeless.
The Monitor
UM– USEKE.RW
