Loamy soils, terrain affect Kabarole roads

  

People get stuck at a collapsed bridge in Karambi sub county, Kabarole district in 2010. Photo by Felix basiime

Web link; (http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Loamy+soils++terrain+affect+Kabarole+roads/-/688334/1419084/-/11a47cj/-/index.html)

By JOSEPH MUGISA & FELIX BASIIME

Posted  Sunday, June 3  2012 at  00:00

Loamy soils and terrain in Kabarole District have deterred development of infrastructure and as a result, the local government wants government to raise the funds they send to the district.


According to the district chairman, Mr Richard Rwabuhinga, loamy and collapsing soils have made it impossible for engineers to build strong feeder roads and bridges in the district.

“The poor state of roads in the district is making it difficult for the leaders to effectively implement government programmes and reduce on the persistent poverty in the remote rural areas,” Mr Rwabuhinga said.

Mr Rwabuhinga said during rainy seasons, some villages are cut off from each other after roads and bridges have been washed away. The Chief Administrative Officer, Mr Juma Nyende, said the district has been losing billions of money spent on constructing roads and bridges without any lasting solution.

“As a district we have asked the central government to consider us differently than other districts when allocating funds for constructing roads and bridges in districts,” Mr Nyende said.

The district has about 250km of feeder roads and the central government allocates only Shs483 million annually for roads and bridges. The officials are, however, demanding that the money allocated to roads be increased, arguing that the money allocated can only be used to murram a 20-km road. The district needs more than Shs6 billion to contruct good roads and at least Shs10 billion to construct bridges.

At the moment, engineers in Kabarole collect murram from neighbouring districts when constructing roads. Apparently, the topography of the district is also affecting developments in the health and education sectors.

Areas east of the district like Rwimi, Kabonero, Katebwa, Bukuuku, Kicwamba and Kasenda and parts of Hakibale sub-counties have lacked schools and health centres for a long time as constructors hired to build the centres or roads abandon the job.
editorial@ug.nationmedia.com

Komuntale’s giveaway party today

Princess Ruth Komuntale with her fiance Christopher Thomas at St. Johns’ Cathedral in Fort Portal town, Kabarole District yesterday. Today, all roads lead to Gweri village, about five kilometres off the Fort Portal-Kamwenge road, for her introduction party. The royal wedding will be held at the cathedral on Saturday. PHOTO BY GEOFFREY MUTEGEKI. 

By FELIX BASIIME

Posted  Thursday, November 15  2012 at  02:00 (http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Komuntale-s-giveaway-party-today/-/688334/1620256/-/item/1/-/14w45n7/-/index.html)

In Summary

At least 1,000 guests, including the President, have been invited to the giveaway ceremony of the Tooro Kingdom princess.

KABAROLE
Today all roads lead to Gweri Village in Karambi Sub-county, Kabarole District for Princess Ruth Komuntale’s giveaway ceremony.

The function will be held at the home of Mr Charles Kamurasi, the paternal uncle of Princess Komuntale. Mr Kamurasi is the omusuuga (head of the royal clan, the Babiito).

The venue is about five kilometres off Fort Portal-Kamwenge road but to avoid heavy traffic, one can use the eight kilometre road off Katcwamba Trading Centre on Fort Portal-Kasese road and go past St. Leo’s College Kyegobe.

The road through St. Leo’s Kyegobe has been renovated but the venue lacks piped water and efforts to provide it, by National Water and Sewage Corporation (NWSC) before the function have been futile. The organisers are relying on the police water tanker to supply water today.

The venue has always relied on solar power but efforts are currently being made by Umeme to extend power to the site. Mr Kamurasi’s home has been renovated and the old furniture has been replaced with new one.

At least 1,000 guests have been invited and these include the President and other dignitaries. According to the organising committee, the giveaway and wedding ceremonies will cost about Shs1.5b.

Prince Isaac Rabwoni Amooti, the secretary of the royal Babiito clan, says cultural values will be fully observed.

Rabwoni says the giveaway ceremony will be preceded by the kujumbura, performed by Omujwera Musuuga, a paternal uncle to Princess Komuntale. Traditionally, the king is not allowed to attend this ceremony so King Oyo Nyimba will not be present for the function.Princess Komuntale will don bark cloth, traditional wear of the Babiito before she sits on Kamurasi’s lap. “It is a sign of good luck,” says Rabwoni.

According to Rabwoni, the bridegroom and his party will be led by Mr Katenta Apuuli, a former ambassador, who will lead his side through the culture and rituals of Tooro.

Today, Christopher Thomas, the bridegroom will be given a pet name (Amooti) and will join one of the more than 90 clans of Tooro.

Later, celebrations will go on throughout the night where the royal dance, Amakondere, music blaring out of wooden flutes and drums will be played.

Rabwoni says such a function last took place on December 18, 1965 during the wedding of Princess Elizabeth Mpanja, daughter to Komuntale’s grandfather, Omukama George Kamurasi Rukidi III, to Lt. Col. William Ndahendekire.

Tooro traditional wedding rituals

Should Christopher Thomas and his entourage arrive after midday, they risk being turned away because in Tooro tradition no marriage can be allowed when the sun is overhead but if they arrive early the brides family has the right to keep them waiting provided they send notification of their arrival in time.

Once they are allowed into the compound they will be required to carry two calabashes of local brew for “opening” the gates ( (Kukingura irembo).

Upon arrival, they will be welcomed. Then the spokesperson for the bride’s family will ask the grooms entourage to select nine members (Omwenda) who will be moved into the main house where they will be served gourds of milk, coffee berries as a sign of friendship.

All the other guests in the tent will also be served milk. Tradition demands that you drink all the milk served to you, it is considered uncouth to leave half a glass. Then negotiations will commence, the hosts start by pretending they were attending their own meeting and only allowed and served the guests out of courtesy and Tooro hospitality.

Then the spokesperson pleads and announces reason for their visit. There about six steps in the negotiation for a girl’s hand in marriage and at each stage a large calabash of local brew (Tonto) will be presented. These days that is accompanied by other modern drinks like bottled beer and soda (considered and announced as juice for the mothers).

Bride wealth is paid in cattle and the number might vary depending on the bride’s family and the understanding with the groom’s family. The wealthier the family, the more the cattle one might have to pay.

It is understood that the royal family considered waiving the bride wealth requirement for Thomas. This could be partly because all wealth in the kingdom is presumed to belong to the king.

At least three rounds of beautiful girls will be paraded in succession for the groom to pick the one he wants to be his wife.

Once the bride has been identified, the bride price is negotiated and the father’s consent granted, then the girl will also be asked to confirm that it is indeed the man she wants to marry before the family can accept any gifts and the bride wealth.

A meal will be served to all after the negotiations and a party will follow until the last guest leaves.
fbasiime@ug.nationmedia.com

Nema moves to save L. Katwe

The location of the lakes in Kasese.  

By Felix Basiiime

Posted  Monday, April 2  2012 at  00:00 (http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1378080/-/awndu7z/-/index.html)

The National Environment Management Authority (Nema) with the help of local non-government organisations has moved to save Lake Katwe from extinction by regulating salt mining.

Mr Arinaitwe Kagongo, a guide at the Katwe Tourism Information Centre (Katic), a community-based organisation in Katwe-Kabatooro Town, said last week that the lake is reducing in size each day.

“Nema is coming down to destroy some of the salt pans (owned by miners) and re-open some streams,” Mr Kagongo, who has lived near the lake for 32 years, said.
He added: “There used to be about 35 streams refreshing Lake Katwe but now about 20 or less are left.”

Mr Jeconious Musingwiire, the western region focal person and public awareness officer for NEMA, yesterday said there is need to properly manage the water catchment area around the lake.

“The buffer zone at Katwe has been encroached on by miners therefore the recharging potential has dwindled,” Mr Musingwiire said.

He said the National Environment Lake Shores and River Banks Act, regulates human activities on water bodies and states that human activities on big lakes like Lake Victoria should be within a radius of 200 metres but 50-100 metres on small lakes like Katwe.

Investigation
Mr Paul Isabirye, the coordinator of the Climate Change Unit under the Ministry of Water and Environment, when he visited the lake last year said: “There must be an investigation into why the streams are drying. Trees must be planted around the lake to safeguard the banks.”

High extraction of rock salt and deforestation around the lake also contribute to the decline in salt levels, officials indicated.

There are about 5,000 plots of ponds near the lake but only 2,000 are registered by government. The ownership is hereditary. A plot measures at least 10 or 12 feet wide and between three to five feet deep.

A guided tour on the four salty lakes shows that only Lake Nyamunuka has an untampered catchment area with trees around it.

According to Mr Yowasi Kimulya, the director of Katic, tourism at Katwe grew in 2011 with 40,260 tourists visiting the area, a thing that attracted Shs38 million to the centre. This was 400 per cent more compared to 2009.

Officials said Lake Katwe may become barren if no measures are taken.

The salty lakes in Kasese include; Katwe, Nyamunuka, Bunyampaka and Munyanyange, but today, only Katwe and Bunyampaka have salt because they still have fresh water inlets.

The communities at Katwe-Kabatooro Town rely on traditional solar salt mining, fishing in Lake Edward and tourism for their livelihood.
fbasiime@ug.nationmedia.com