
TRANSPORT SECTOR
The transport sector in Uganda is characterized by a system breakdown to smoothly manage, and maintain it and coupled with several disjointed measures that have been aimed at improving it.
For example, in the current fracas in the Boda Boda section in Kampala, where the ongoing registration of the operators has seen many criticise the whole exercise that has stalled because of the lack of a clear-cut policy on registration and psychiatric evaluation of the Boda Boda riders from the government.
40,000 Boda Boda motorcyclists are operating around Kampala metropolitan area but the government is calling for 7000 only, so, we would like to understand where the remaining motorcyclists, are supposed to go! With the exorbitant fees ranging from UGX 70, 000 per Boda motorcyclist that was being charged by the enforcement, where is it and on whose account was it being deposted.
We demand that the government and KCCA technical wing follow the law that guides the public transport sector because the city council is the one mandated to run the process of registration and management. Also, we condemn the violent manner used by the Traffic Police to get all the unpaid EPS fees from offenders on Kampala metropolitan area roads.
We advise the ministry of works to emulate their Kenyan counterparts who introduced a new generation of number plates and ATM-like Smart driver’s Licence with a QR code, and hologram.
This kind of technology will improve road safety and lessen crime on Uganda’s roads, and this will reduce human interaction which in the long run improves the working relations between enforcers and the road users.
STATE OF THE EDUCATION
There is an impasse between parents, teachers and the government on the forever hiking of school fees by both private and government-aided schools.
Mostly government-aided schools in Uganda hiking fees with no logical explanation which is supposedly against their public education for all, these schools are currently afforded by a few, thus brewing bad blood between the three concerned parties parents, school administrations and government.
This is because schools are faced with the current economic hardships which are hindering their smooth operations thus opting for school fee hikes.
The government has been constantly reducing the grant funds, UPE and USE directed to these government-aided institutions, this has also been a hindrance to education affordability, accessibility and availability.
We urge the government to increase the education sector budgetary funding, especially the progressive UPE, and USE grants every financial year to meet up with the ever-dynamic needs of the education industry Keynotes.
Primary school level, the capitation grant rate for the 7.6 million learners in 12,432 schools was raised from Shillings 17,00 for the financial year 2021/2022 to Shillings 20,000 per learner, which is still one of the lowest in the region.
The guidelines, school expenditures that are eligible for the UPE capitation grant include instructional and scholastic materials (35 per cent), co-curricular activities (20 per cent), school management (15 per cent), administration (10 per cent) and contingency expenditure (20 per cent).
Shillings 3.96 billion into the school inspection, supervision and monitoring department.
There are over 2,995 Secondary schools in 146 Districts.
KIKONYOGO JOHN
FDC DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON