Uganda: Country Report on Sustainable Rural

Development

By Kuruhiira Godfrey. M.A -Akiiki

Map of Uganda

Background

• Established 1926, got independence in 1962 and became a republic 1967.

• Initially under a federal system composed of traditional kingdoms with 65 ethnic groups

• Member of the East African community

• Lead under a decentralized governance system

Background Cont’d

• Language: English (official), Swahili & Local ones

• Religions: Roman Catholic 33%, Protestant 33%, Islam 16%, indigenous beliefs 18%

• Location: coordinates1 00 N, 32 00 E by the equator.

• Area: 236,040 sq km (land: 199,710 sq km and water: 36,330 sq km).

• Lowest point: Lake Albert 621 m & highest point: Margherita Peak on Mount Rwenzori 5,110 m.

Economic summary

• Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2007 est.): $29.04 billion; per capita $900.

• Real growth rate: 6.5%. • Inflation: 6.8%.• Agriculture: coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco,

cassava (tapioca), potatoes, corn, millet, pulses, cut flowers, beef, goat meat, milk, poultry Cocoa & Vanilla.

• Labor force: over 15 million; agriculture 82%, industry 5%, services 13%.

Economic summary Cont’d

• Industries: sugar, tea, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles; cement, steel production.

• Natural resources: copper, cobalt, hydropower, limestone, salt, arable land, Oil and gold.

• Exports: coffee, fish and fish products, tea, cotton, flowers, horticultural products;.

• Imports: capital equipment, vehicles, petroleum, medical supplies; cereals.

Climate

• Land use: Arable 22%, permanent under crops is 8.92% (Plantations), other: 69.51% and Irrigated land is 90 sq km.

• Rainfall pattern: Bi-modal (two seasons crop farming in most areas) Well-watered (lakes and rivers widespread).

• High altitude (favorable climate) temperatures 17.2 - 29 degrees centigrade.

Demographic characteristics

• Total Population: 32 million people, • Growth rate: 3.6 percent • Density: 124 persons per Sq. Km • Urban population: 12%.• Sex ration: 95 male per 100 females, • Literacy rate: 70% • Rural population: over 80%, • Below the poverty line: 36%

Demographic Cont’d

In the Rural population:• Access to electricity: 8%, • Households on subsistence farming: 68% • Dwelling units constructed with permanent roof,

wall and floor materials. 17% • Communication: 55% households use “word of

mouth” as their main source of information.

• Rural Development in Uganda

Rural Development in Uganda

The strategy is hinged on the Poverty Eradication Action plan (PEAP) that aims at increasing;

• Productivity of the rural poor• Household incomes, • Access to financial services,

• Markets for the local products.

Rural Development Cont’d

To be achieved through:• Modernization of Agriculture, • Increasing the literacy levels, • Control of HIV/AIDS, • Improving the general health of the people and

• Reduction of the mortality rate.

• Promoting good governance and Rights

Prosperity For All Strategy

Prosperity for all (PFA) focuses on transforming rural subsistence production to commercialized levels.

1. Optimally use their land with increased access to extension services enterprise selection

2. Strengthening their farmer Institutions

3. Employment creation and productivity

4. Increased household incomes.

5. Facilitate Value addition and marketing.

Prosperity For All StrategyProviding farmers with:• Providing high quality input, access to the

market and market price information• Empowering farmers to demand and evaluate

services utilized• Increasing access to financial services and

promotion of farmer resource pooling in Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOs)

• The practice is selection of 6 households per parish to form transformation demonstration and learning centres.

Prosperity For All Strategy

• The strategy helps households gain and document Knowledge, deepen rural poor participation in development.

• Borrowed knowledge and practices from other communities strengthens local knowledge and practices

• It strengthens the capacity of a cadre of community change agents sensitive to concerns small holder farmers’ for productivity

• Creates a critical mass of transformation agents to assist poor, vulnerable, disfranchised and powerless people.

Zoning and political Commitment

• The president inspecting a farmer

Government Interventions on Rural Development

• The Poverty Eradication Action plan (PEAP)

• Introduced in 1997, PEAP is a Comprehensive Development Programme framework multi-sectoral approach with the following goals:

• Creating a framework for rapid economic growth and structural transformation

• Ensuring good governance and security

PEAP Cont’d

• Directly increasing the ability of the poor to raise incomes; and

• Directly increasing the quality of life of the poor.

• However, the National Planning Authority is currently reviewing the PEAP to replace it with the National Development Plan

Government programmes in RD

• Plan for modernization of Agriculture (PMA) • Peace, recovery and Development Plan (PRDP)

in Northern Uganda • Poverty Action Fund (PAF)• National Agriculture Research Organization

(NARO)• National Livestock productivity Improvement

programme (NALPIP)

Gov’t Progs in RD Cont’d

• Support to decentralization through the Local Government Management and Service Fund (LGMS)

• National Agriculture Advisory Services programme (NAADS)

• Community Agricultural Infrastructure Improvement Programme (CAIIP)

• Community Information Management System (CIS)

Gov’t Progs in RD Cont’d

• Universal Primary Education (UPE)

• Universal Secondary Education (USE)

• Primary Health Care (PHC) support out reaches and construction of HCs IV, III &II

• Rural and Sanitation Programme and Feeder and community Access roads improvement

• Functional Adult Literacy (FAL)

Gov’t Progs in RD Cont’d

• Northern Uganda Action Fund (NUSAF)

• Peace Reconciliation and development Plan (PRDP) for northern Uganda

• Karamoja Development programme (KDP)

Country

Best Practices Rural Development

Best Practices Rural Development

• Increasing the Peoples Productivity – farmers have been assisted in enterprise selection – perennial , seasonal and off farm enterprise

• Increasing Household Incomes – 6 households per parish targeting to earn 20million ($10,000)

• Access to Financial Services – over 20,000 SACCOs Established in 938 Sub counties with Share Capital of 21 Billion, savings of 54 Billion and loan portfolio of 65 billion

Best Practices Cont’d

• Increasing Markets for the Local Products markets facilities and Centers for market information have been established

• Enhancing Civil Society Involvement in Rural Development – a Civil Society support Fund (CSF) in place

• Strengthened Farmer Institutions – farmer groups from the village to National farmers forum have enhanced demand for service delivery and accountability

Banana Farm Enterprise

Pineapple Farm Enterprises

Diary Cows Enterprise

Goat Rearing Enterprise(Controlled and free range)

Piggery Enterprise (Promoting Local and Modern Breeding)

Poultry Enterprise (promoting exotic and Local Breeds)

Fish Farming Enterprise

Coffee enterprise

Fruits and Vegetables

Cocoa Enterprise

Rice Growing Enterprise

Marketing Produce

Fruit Growing Enterprese

Country

• Main Rural Development Challenges

Main Dev’t Challenges

• Low average growth rate of about 5.6 %• High maternal and infant mortality at 435 per

100,000 and 87 per 1,000• Private sector, NGOs, CBOs involvement is still

very weak in this regard and not very well coordinated.

• The farmers Institutions have not yet gained adequate clout to hold service providers & political leaders accountable

Main Dev’t Challenges Cont’d

• High labour costs and high interests from Micro-Finance Institutions (MFI)

• Changing Climatic conditions with elinio rains and new pests and diseases.

• Low capacity and literacy of women who offer 80% of the farm labour.

• Land fragmentation, grabbing and lack of user rights.

Main Dev’t Challenges Cont’d

• Direct external investment in agricultural enterprises taking land and paying little for the labour

• Use of labour based tools – hand hoes• Efficiency of the extension service delivery• Low budget allocation and dependency on

external support of over 30%• brain drain a over 40% of the qualified persons

leave the country

Prospects in Rural Development

• Gov’ts attention on revitalizing the Community Development Function to enhance rural development.

• Increased investment in community capacity building for effective use, management and sustainability of investment.

• decentralization that has promoted bottom up planning and monitoring to sub-county level

Prospects in RD Cont’d

• Gov’ts increased investment in RD by providing resources for Community mobilization, Capacity Building, rural infrastructure improvement (roads, electrification, small industries support and markets)

• Strengthening of local governance structures and support of the Community Driven Development with small grants for parish level Community action Plans.

Prospects in RD Cont’d

• Gov’t is Commitment to pursue a holistic –multi-sectoral intervention for effective extension service delivery and allocation of funds for enterprises development and support to SACCOs,

• Gov’ts commitment to enhance the participation of CSOs in RD has led to increased evolution and involvement of these organizations.

• Facilitation of people’s participation and responsiveness in the planning process in the Local Governments at all levels

Prospects in RD Cont’d

• There is annual assessment of LGs on Value for money (VFM) & sustainable development initiative established with rewards and penalties on performance.

• There is focus now on strengthening linkages between the various actors in the Local Government to promote transparency and accountability and the public – private partnership in improving service delivery.

End

Thanks – Mwebale

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