FDC presidential candidate Nathan Nandala Mafabi has promised to address the chronic water crisis in Sembabule District if elected President in the January 15 polls.
During his campaigns in the district on Wednesday, Mafabi said he was shocked to learn that a big section of households in Sembabule still share water with animals despite overwhelmingly supporting the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) for the last four decades.
“If the government were interested in your well-being, it would have invested in providing you with clean, safe water for domestic use and irrigation to improve agriculture, since some of you grow crops and rare animals,” he said while addressing a rally in Sembabule Town. “It’s time for a change, and that’s why I’m here to listen to your concerns and offer solutions.”
Mafabi faulted area leaders, including the former minister for foreign affairs, Sam Kutesa, saying they have not done enough to help the locals get clean water and other basic amenities. “Leaders should be accountable to the people, not just the ruling party,” he emphasized.
“We are going to invest heavily in agriculture being the backbone of our economy, and this will come with more water supply, which will support agriculture and boost agro-processing industries, this will in turn provide jobs to citizens and we address the challenge of unemployment,” he added.
Mafabi also promised to improve household incomes by reducing heavy taxes on essential commodities and empowering villagers with 100m shillings each to boost their livelihoods.
“We shall empower our people right from villages to improve their livelihoods. Each village will get 100m, and this programme will replace the current Parish Development Model, which has failed to reduce poverty levels in communities,” he said. “We’ll also give out seed capital through Cooperative Bank and Agriculture Bank, which will help boost household incomes since the loans will be interest-free.”
Sembabule has long been an NRM stronghold, but service delivery is still wanting, with the district lacking a general hospital and available health centers being ill-equipped and understaffed. Areas like Lwemiyaga County lack better schools, and children trek more than 10 kilometers to access education.
The incumbent district chairperson Patrick Nkalubo, 12 councilors, including district speaker Hajj Erias Kasozi – all from NRM, sailed through unopposed and are waiting to be sworn in as new office bearers.
Mafabi’s campaign trail will continue in Masaka City and Masaka District on Thursday, where he is expected to outline more of his plans for the country.