Category: Daily Monitor

AS the country celebrated the Solemnity of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, President Marcos urged Filipinos ‘to have the right intentions so they can achieve better outcomes in life.’

In a statement issued on Monday, the Chief Executive noted how Mary being born without sin has paved the way to humanity’s salvation since it allowed her to be the mother of Jesus Christ.

‘The Immaculate Conception reminds us that the way we begin matters. Our intentions shape our outcomes, and the spirit in which we start a mission influences the fruit it bears,’ Marcos said.

He warned how endeavors which were initiated by pride and deceit can result in division and distrust.

‘But if we begin with truth, humility, and compassion for the least among us, we can build a more just and peaceful Bagong Pilipinas: a nation where integrity, service, and a common good guide our ever action,’ he said.

He also highlighted how Mary intercedes on behalf of Filipinos and serves as model for other with her purity, devotion, and unwavering faith.

‘Through her intercession, may our leaders be guided by wisdom and discernment, our institutions purified at the root, and our people united in hope,’ Marcos said.

‘Let us draw strength from her life as we continue building a nation that places God at its center and holds fast to the dignity of every Filipino,’ he added.

Republic Act 10966 declared December 8 as a special non-working holiday for the commemoration of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the Principal Patroness of the Philippines.

Based on the census conducted by the Philippines Statistics Authority in 2020, over 85 million of the country’s 108 million population are Roman Catholics.

A two-time Filipino Olympian who never expected himself to compete and excel in a sport historically mastered by exclusively Europeans and North Americans, believes that guidance and proper mentoring Filipino athletes can excel and dominate the global Pole Vault scene.

Asia’s No. 1 pole vaulter Ernest John ‘EJ’ Obiena will introduce to everyone – people of all ages particularly to young aspiring athletes – a short course on ‘What it takes’ to reach the top in the sports world, hosted on the globally-leading training platform KAJABI.

‘Wherever I go, I get the same two to three questions from parents, coaches, and young athletes particularly around ‘What does it take in terms of discipline and the mental game, to be the best?’, and as I cannot answer every question due to heavy training load, I felt a Kajabi course was a smart and cost-effective way to reach millions. Obiena said. ‘Being an engineering student, I looked at technologies to enable me to help as many young athletes as possible. I have built a simple philosophy I call ‘The 3 UPs of success’ and that’s what I cover in the course.’

James Michael Lafferty, one of the world’s successful mentors in business, leadership, and sports, agrees with the 2023 World Athletics Championships silver medalist for spreading the ‘3 UPS’ from the hosting platform as an effective tool to boost a young athletes skills, confidence, and knowledge.

‘It is very noble of EJ [Obiena] to try and reach kids all over the world and raise funds to help provincial kids have a shot in Philippines,’ Lafferty said. ‘He is very much willing to have time for all these kids just for them to be successful in their respective fields.’

For less than $20 US dollars, many young athletes will get the mentorship they are looking for to achieve their goals in life like being a world class champion and win a college scholarship, through Obiena’s mentorship.

‘EJ has risen to the top of his sport despite coming from a huge disadvantage. Pole vault is a European and North American sport. From the sport’s formal introduction in 1912, every single world record has been set by a European or North American vaulter,’ Lafferty explained.

‘And yet, here comes a Filipino vaulter, without the support systems other top vaulters were raised in, rising to Number 2 in the world; winning multiple World Championship Medals; and being the only Asian to clear the mythical ‘6 meters’ barrier, something only 29 men have done in history!’

According to EJ, when a young athlete enrolls in the 3 UPS to success, they will get the following:

1. A full training program done on world class Kajabi interactive site, done at your pace, when you want, and broken into clear modules. You will learn from EJ and his coach what it takes to master the mental side of training and competing.

2. You are enrolled in a closed and exclusive club, where every few months you can join a live webinar with EJ and ask him your personal questions. You will get to know EJ up close and learn from him!

3. Finally, you get to help others. Proceeds from this mentorship program will go towards building pole vault facilities in the provincial areas of the Philippines. So, we give every athlete a chance to pursue their dreams!

‘My coach and Mentor James Michael Lafferty introduced me to Kajabi which is arguably the worlds leading platform for hosting such a mentoring and coaching program. No matter where you are in world you can access and participate, at your own pace,’ Obiena said.

‘And to really help, anyone who has completed the ‘3 UPS’ also can join me in a private quarterly webinar. I want to answer their questions and help them out long term,’ he assured.

He also said that all the proceeds from this program will finance more facilities in the provinces for his passion to build pole vault facilities across the nation.

TRANSPORT advocacy groups have strongly opposed the government’s plan to ban electric bicycles (e-bike) and electric tricycles (e-trike) from national highways starting January, arguing that the policy contradicts existing law and unfairly targets vulnerable commuters.

In a letter addressed to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief, Assistant Secretary Markus Lacanilao, the Move As One Coalition and 37 other organizations questioned the legal basis for the proposed ban, citing Republic Act 11687 or the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (Evida).

According to the groups, Evida explicitly states that ‘light electric vehicles which shall be for exclusive private use shall not be required to register with the DOTr [Department of Transportation] and its attached agencies.’

Only electric vehicles used for public transport are required to register and obtain franchises under the law.

The coalition argued that the LTO’s plan to automatically impound unregistered e-bikes and e-trikes would violate Evida’s stated policy ‘to provide an enabling environment for the development of electric vehicles, including options for micromobility as an attractive and feasible mode of transportation to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.’

‘Why are e-bike and e-trike users being targeted by the LTO when cars are the primary vehicles involved in road crashes?’ the statement read further.

Citing Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) data, the coalition noted that bikes, e-bikes, and pedicabs accounted for only 1.52 percent of road crashes in 2024, while cars were involved in 54 percent of crashes.

The organizations further criticized the apparent lack of public consultation on the policy.

‘The welfare of citizens who bought these ‘low emission’ vehicles to use for their daily trips and to save on fare and gasoline should not be ignored. It’s important for the LTO to hear their voices,’ the statement read.

Among the 38 signatories are cycling advocacy groups, commuter organizations, disability rights groups, and environmental advocates including Bicycle Friendly Philippines, Pinay Bike Commuter Community, National Confederation of Transportworkers Union, Life Haven Center for Independent Living, and Komyut.

‘Why does the LTO want to push an unjust measure that would deprive citizens of their fundamental right to mobility? This is the key to everyone having access to work, education, recreation, and public services, and to fulfill other important tasks. This right will enable them to achieve their dreams, support their families, and dedicate their efforts to the motherland,’ the statement read.

The groups said they are willing to work with the LTO to achieve a transportation system that is safe, humane, and accessible to all, but emphasized they will consider the ban merely a plan until the agency conducts thorough consultations and issues clear guidelines.

Police blocked Busoga One Radio’s annual music festival, ‘Endigito 2025,’ on Sunday, causing the station owner and National Unity Platform (NUP) parliamentary candidate Paul Mwiru to claim financial losses of over Shs400 million.

The concert, which runs district activations from February and was to culminate at Jinja Agricultural Show Grounds, had received multiple clearances, including from the Inspector General of Police and the District Police Commander.

Yet on the eve of the festival, the Jinja City Security Committee reversed the approvals, citing the possible attendance of NUP presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine.

‘We told them he is a presidential candidate with his own campaign schedule and we had no programme of him attending,’ Mwiru said.

He added that artists such as King Saha, Mathias Walukaga, Easy B, and Atwooki Richie were unfairly labelled as potentially politicizing the event.

On December 4, the committee, chaired by Richard Gulume Balyaino, informed organisers that the festival would not proceed, arguing there was ‘no guarantee’ that Kyagulanyi would not appear and citing security risks during the political season.

The blockade followed a directive from Internal Affairs Minister Maj Gen (Rtd) Kahinda Otafiire on December 5, ordering the IGP to allow the concert.

‘The event should be allowed to take place. Even during this political period, political statements are not banned. Space must be given for political expression,’ Otafiire wrote.

Despite this, police on December 6 dispersed vendors and service providers assembling at the venue, insisting they ‘take orders from the Security Committee, not the minister.’

Speaking to journalists in the city on Sunday, Mwiru said the cancellation inflicted massive economic losses. ‘We booked and paid for the venue, paid 38 musicians, and cleared other service providers. Women and youth groups bought perishables expecting to sell at the event, and now everything is rotting,’ he noted.

‘We were expecting Shs1 billion from the concert, but now all I can do is count the losses,’ he lamented.

Twaha Isabirye, a resident of Bwonda Landing Site in Mayuge District, had travelled from early morning to attend the festival.

‘I travelled at 4am, but now I feel terrible that the event has been banned,’ he said, while Joram Kyomya from Kayunga District arrived unaware of the cancellation.

‘No one informed us. I was shocked when I reached the showground and found everything closed. It is very disappointing.’

Mwiru accused security agencies of targeting the station because of its opposition affiliation.

‘This is an attack on Busoga’s business community, on women and youth who rely on such events for income,’ he said.

Legal action is planned, with the station seeking damages under Article 26 of the Constitution.

‘We have already tallied Shs400 million, but the accountant is still reviewing records. We expect to seek both specific and general damages,’ Mwiru added.

Despite the setback, he vowed to continue operations. ‘Busoga One Radio is here to stay. We will not compromise our standards to appease anyone. I separate politics from business, and I am not about to surrender,’ he said.

A report by Nilezilla Limited, the company behind the Yumbe Mango Fruit Processing Factory, indicates that the new facility is projected to save Uganda an estimated $2.5 million (about Shs 9 billion) annually in foreign exchange by reducing dependence on imported mango pulp.

Although Uganda grows many mangoes, most are traditional varieties known as kagogwa. poor post-harvest handling, irregular supply, and limited processing capacity have made it difficult for local processors to meet industry demands for consistent quality, specific sugar/acid ratios, stable volumes, and year-round availability.

As a result, Uganda has been importing mango pulp primarily from India, Kenya, and Pakistan.

What mango pulp is used for?

Mango pulp, a semi-processed concentrate made from crushed mango flesh, is widely used in:

Juices and juice concentrates

Soft drinks and ready-to-drink beverages

Yogurt, ice cream, and dairy blends

Bakery fillings

Jams and syrups

Baby foods and dessert mixes

Launch of the Yumbe mango processing factory

The factory operates under a public-private partnership and recently began operations following a five-year delay caused by funding challenges and inadequate power supply.

The plant processes locally grown kagogwa mangoes into pulp, providing a guaranteed market for farmers and reducing post-harvest losses.

The facility has the capacity to process five metric tons of mangoes per hour, or up to 100 metric tons per day. Beyond saving foreign exchange, it is projected to generate 200 direct jobs, more than 1,500 indirect jobs, and inject over Shs 1.5 billion annually into the West Nile economy through fruit purchases.

Operations commenced after the plant was connected to the national electricity grid and all machinery was successfully installed.

Nilezilla leadership’s vision

Ms Ruth Aisha Biyinzika Kasolo, the board chairperson of Nilezilla Limited, said the company’s vision goes beyond business profitability to embrace innovation, sustainability, and community empowerment within Uganda’s agricultural sector.

‘Nilezilla is poised to transform the mango processing industry in the West Nile region by unlocking the potential of our local farmers and resources,’ she said.

She added that the company aims to build a value chain centered on high-quality mango puree and related products that drive economic growth while uplifting the communities supplying raw materials.

Building a competitive fruit-processing industry

Prof William Kyamuhangire, Chief Executive Officer of Nilezilla Limited, said the company aims to establish a competitive fruit-processing industry in Yumbe District by developing a range of premium mango products starting with concentrated puree.

To achieve this, he said Nilezilla has set SMART objectives:

Increasing annual production capacity

Capturing meaningful market share in the East African pulp sector

Achieving strong financial performance

Obtaining fair-trade certification

Creating employment opportunities for local populations

He added that through partnerships with strategic buyers, the company will enhance market access, empower farmers, and stimulate shared economic prosperity.

Prof Kyamuhangire emphasized that the factory will help address postharvest losses in West Nile by converting abundant local mangoes into high-value puree for both regional and export markets.

He highlighted Nilezilla’s competitive advantage in its commitment to innovation, sustainability, and consistent quality, especially the unique ‘kagogwa’ flavor profile derived from Ugandan mangoes processed at peak freshness.

Prof Kyamuhangire says the company plans to expand into retail-ready packaging and explore value-added products derrived from mango waste, such as seed oil extraction

Farmers’ insights

Mr Saidi Aniku, chairperson of Aringa Fruit Farmers’ Cooperative, described the project as more than an industrial facility, calling it a transformative force within Uganda’s agro-industrialisation agenda.

With an investment of about Shs 30 billion, the factory uses modern technology to aseptically process mango puree into 200-litre bags inside steel drums, giving the product a shelf life of up to two years

Market access and private sector support

Mr Ajith Prasad, General Manager Food at Britania Allied Industries Ltd-the first buyer of puree from Nilezilla-said the investment strengthens year-round supply chains and lowers transport costs.

‘We used to spend heavily importing puree from India and Kenya, but with this factory producing concentrated pulp, our import bill will fall,’ he said.

Finance Minister Matia Kasaija applauded the establishment of the factory, emphasizing the importance of job creation.

‘If you are a business person who does not provide employment, then you are not my friend and not a friend of the country,’ he said.

He noted that Uganda should no longer be importing mango puree within two or three years as more fruit-processing facilities are currently under government planning.

A Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) soldier assigned to the escort team of Minister of State for Defence and Veteran Affairs Huda Olele died on the spot Sunday evening after a head-on collision on the Kampala-Gulu Highway in Kalule, Nyimbwa Sub-County, authorities said.

Several other UPDF soldiers travelling in the same convoy were seriously injured in the crash.

Police said the crash happened at around 7:45 pm when a white Fuso Fighter truck (registration UAN 394Z) heading from Kampala toward Luwero District attempted a reckless overtaking manoeuvre near Kalule Trading Centre.

According to ASP Sam Twiineamazima, the Regional Police Spokesperson for Savannah Region, the truck rammed head-on into an oncoming green Toyota Hilux (registration UG 0388D), which was part of the minister’s convoy driving toward Kampala.

He identified the deceased soldier as LCPL Moses Edongoto. Six other army officers and two civilians sustained serious injuries and were rushed to Bombo General Military Hospital for emergency medical care.

ASP Twiineamazima said both vehicles were towed to Bombo Police Station and that preliminary findings point to ‘reckless overtaking by the Fuso truck driver’ as the cause of the fatal crash.

Police said investigations into the incident are ongoing.

Uganda records an average of about 25 deaths from road crashes and murders every day, according to the 2024 annual police crime report.

Vivo Energy Uganda has called upon the public to buy liquefied petroleum gas only from authorised dealers, warning of an influx of illegally refilled gas, which is causing explosions in homes.

While meeting a delegation from the Nation Media Group that paid a courtesy call to them at their offices last week, Ms Joanita Mukasa Male, the managing director of Vivo Energy Uganda, asked the NMG-Uganda team, led by Ms Susan Nsibirwa, the managing director, to partner with them in sensitising the public about safe use of LPG gas.

‘The real work is in LPG; shifting the perceptions and advocating for regulations against illegal refills. These are the things we are dealing with. How to get the public to understand the dangers of exposure and how this affects their cookers,’ she said.

She explained that ever since government centralised the importation of fuel, it relieved them of the logistical complexities and it has stabilised their working environment, which has now giving them enough time to pay close attention to the consumer demands.

Ms Mukasa cited fuel tank accidents that end up in explosions and killing people and the fuel blended with ethanol as some of the areas that the public needs to be educated in.

She added that their corporate social responsibility initiatives such as use of their gas stations as blood donation centres, transitioning schools from firewood to LPG gas for cooking, clean drinking water provision for schools, and road safety awareness campaigns offer opportunities where the two companies can partner and impact the communities.

Mr Joel Nyakahuma a senior petroleum officer at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, asked the affected companies to report the cases of illegal gas refills.

‘There was an explosion in Kisaasi recently and police attributed it to gas explosion. There are regulations that are being drafted so as to guide the market better, I know we have two bulk importers but I didn’t know there are small players in the industry, some of whom could be refilling from home, which is very dangerous,’ he said.

Ms Nsibirwa said they are paying attention to customer needs, a reason NMG has come up with innovations centred on giving audiences the content they want.

She added that instead of hiring software engineers to work in the newsroom, NMG decided to equip its journalists with software skills that enable them to gather content, which is appealing to younger audiences .

Ms Nsibirwa said NMG-U would work with Vivo Energy Uganda to keep the public safe.

Mr Richard Senkwale, the head of commercial at NMG-U said LPG is an essential for conservation of the environment through limiting the use of charcoal and wood in cooking.

How the vice is done

Mr Val Oketcho, the Vivo Energy Uganda spokesperson, said rampant illegal refilling of gas in Kampala is a sector-wide problem affecting almost all companies dealing in LPG gas.

He explained that the illegal refillers get branded cylinders from the registered distributors, and they refill the gas in smaller quantities. Sometimes it leaks, and when a client lights it up, it explodes.

On a quiet line in the Bank of Uganda’s balance-of-payments data, a decade-long drama plays out: how external partners financed Uganda through loans and grants, and how that support swelled, steadied, surged, and then wobbled.

In the 2014/15 financial year, donor flows stood at $678.6m. It was a modest base, reflecting a time when several large infrastructure and social-sector projects were still in preparation and disbursements were thin.

The following year, however, changed the tone dramatically. Bank of Uganda data show inflows surging to $1.3b in 2015/16, a near-doubling in a single year, up 92.9 percent.

The leap was driven by a structural shift in the pipeline: major loan and grant programmes negotiated earlier moved into active implementation, unlocking sizeable first-round disbursements and pushing Uganda into a new, higher bracket of external support. In practical terms, it was a reset, not a blip.

The 2016/17 financial year brought a slight pause. Inflows dipped to $1.25m, a 3.9 percent reduction. This mild retreat fits the normal rhythm of project finance. After a surge year, flows often soften as programmes move through procurement, contracting, and milestone-based approvals before the next drawdowns.

From 2017/18 through 2019/20, the line resumed a calm ascent. Inflows rose from $1.48b to $1.63b and then to $1.74b. Each year added more than the last, though percentage gains eased from 18 percent to 10.3 percent and then 6.3 percent.

Beneath the smooth ascent was routine implementation: more projects maturing, more regular releases, but a slower growth rate because the portfolio was expanding steadily rather than being lifted by new mega-approvals.

Every long story has a hinge moment, and for donor flows, the hinge was 2020/21. In that year, inflows vaulted to $2.35b, the highest point Bank of Uganda captures in its data, a 35.5 percent surge.

But the peak did not last. In 2021/22, Bank of Uganda shows a pullback to $1.93b, down by 18.2 percent. The driver was post-emergency normalization. As urgent Covid-19 facilities tapered and crisis programmes wound down, inflows corrected toward a more regular level.

Even so, support remained above late-2010s volumes, signalling moderation rather than withdrawal.

By 2022/23, inflows were rising again, reaching $2.14b, an 11.3 percent increase.

Part of this rebound reflects catch-up disbursement: pandemic-era disruptions had delayed procurement and project execution, and as constraints eased, releases accelerated. The donor portfolio remained large; some of the money simply arrived later than planned.

Then the ground shifted sharply in 2023/24, delivering the most dramatic reversal of the decade.

Bank of Uganda data show donor inflows plunged to $1.17b, a 45.4 percent reduction. Nearly half the inflows disappeared in one year, leaving the level about 50.2 percent below the 2020/21 peak.

The fall coincided with a donor-confidence shock. In 2023, the World Bank, one of Uganda’s largest sources of project loans and grants, paused new funding after the passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Act, citing concern that its programmes could not proceed under the new legal environment.

A pause of that scale slowed approvals and dampened disbursements across a portfolio where the World Bank is a key anchor financier.

The decline also unfolded inside a tightening global aid climate in which many donors were re-prioritising budgets amid multiple international crises, making resources scarcer and more conditional.

For Uganda, which depends on a relatively small set of major partners, that global squeeze amplified the impact of the policy-driven pause.

Yet just as the decade ended on a low note, the latest Bank of Uganda reading shows a cautious lift.

During the 12 months ended June 2025, inflows rose to $1.4b, a 19.5 percent increase from $1.17b.

The recovery aligns with the reopening of key multilateral windows: by mid-2025, the World Bank had lifted its freeze and resumed new financing after agreeing on mitigation measures.

Still, the rebound is modest rather than explosive, reflecting a world of tighter donor envelopes, higher scrutiny over governance and rights issues, and tougher competition for concessional finance.

Taken together, Bank of Uganda’s data shows a decade that more than doubled from its starting point.

The June 2025 uptick presents hope amid a funding squeeze that has forced government to borrow hugely to close widening financing gaps.

The recovery could now set the stage for the next chapter in Uganda’s donor-finance story.

The Acholi Cultural Institution (Ker Kwaro Acholi) has called on candidates and their supporters to exercise restraint and avoid violence as the country heads toward the 2026 General Election.

The institution warned that violent elections could destroy the nation many Ugandans call home. Mr Okello Okuna, the minister of information at Ker Kwaro Acholi, said while political parties may have different ideologies, disagreements should remain ideological, not violent.

He cautioned security agencies against using excessive force, saying political violence casts the country in bad light.

‘I went to the barracks and told a gentleman in uniform that if Kyagulanyi comes here on Saturday, we do not want a single drop of blood spilled. We have lost too many people already. When we talk about war, we understand it better than anybody in Uganda,’ Mr Okuna said.

Mr Okuna made the remarks during a visit by the Democratic Front party president, Mr Mathias Mpuuga to the Paramount Chief’s palace at Wii Got, on the outskirts of Gulu City. He said the Paramount Chief, Rwot David Onen Acana II, has consistently called for a peaceful 2026 General Election, which he said is the country’s greatest need at the moment.

Mr Mpuuga said his party fully supports the call for peaceful elections. Although he is not contesting for the presidency, he has been travelling across the country advocating for peaceful participation in the elections.

He added that his campaign for peace will take him to northern Uganda, West Nile, and the Teso sub-regions.

Mr Mpuuga pledged that his party is committed to providing solutions to the country’s many challenges.

‘The country’s problems are widespread and require a multi-faceted approach, including a national dialogue,’ he said.

Mr Martin Okumu, the deputy prime minister of Ker Kwaro Acholi, cautioned politicians against sowing seeds of division among their supporters.

‘As the Acholi Cultural Institution, we want politics that embraces everyone, politics that unites the country for a common goal, even if we belong to different political parties,’ he said.

Banks have been urged to provide farmers with agricultural asset finance to enable them acquire loans for purchasing equipment without the burden of huge upfront costs.

Mr Ahmet Yenisehirli, the Middle East and Africa Business Manager for New Holland, a global brand of agricultural and construction machinery, said without proper financing, agricultural mechanisation will not improve.

‘Banks have to increase the appetite for financing smallholder farmers. Globally, farmers are the safest people to whom you can lend money because we don’t have any issue with the repayment of agricultural mechanisation,’ Mr Yenisehirli said at the Meta Plant and Equipment Uganda Limited’s new home in Kireka, a Kampala suburb last Thursday.

Mr Micheal Woodward, the general manager in-charge of the agricultural division, said Ugandans are broadly transitioning towards mechanised farming.

Mr Mark Davidson, the Meta Plant and Equipment Uganda Limited general manager, said they are about to release a special rate finance stream across local banks, which he said will be a ‘game changer.’

For decades, agriculture remains the primary source of income and sustenance for the majority of Ugandans, and has been the backbone of the country’s economy.

The 2024 Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos) Census reports that 61 percent of households engaged in crop production, while 37 percent were involved in livestock farming.

However, while agriculture is pivotal to livelihoods, challenges persist, including limited adoption of modern technologies, among others.

As a result, the organisation re-launched New Holland tractors, Field King and Dezzi equipment to change the scope of agricultural mechanisation in the country, and has partnered with Centenary, dfcu, and Equity banks in pursuit of that milestone.

Mr Stephen Namunyala, an agribusiness specialist with Centenary Bank, said in the long run, this collaboration will spur growth in agriculture and transform the lives of Ugandans.

‘Two years ago, the bank’s agriculture department was transformed into a division called ‘Mission Critical’, which aims to have 40 percent of the bank’s portfolio in agriculture.

‘The interest rates will be between eight percent and 25 percent per annum, while the repayment period for such equipment will be five years, although negotiable. Customers will, however, be required to make an initial payment on the asset of between 10 percent and 50 percent, also negotiable,’ Mr Namunyala said.

Mr Apollo Okwir, a farmer in Amuria District, said he initially bought a tractor for personal use, but the community got interested and wanted support for farming.

‘I finished and now am helping the community with the tractor,’ he said.