All is set for Friday’s Bushenyi district’s 50th Anniversary celebrations with President Yoweri Museveni expected to preside over the celebrations.
Bushenyi was curved out of Ankole district (Mbarara) in 1974. It has since then evolved into a vibrant hub of progress and development over the past five decades.
The celebrations where 40 people under different categories will be honored for their contribution towards the transformation of the district are to be held under the theme “Celebrating 50years of shared prosperity” at Bushenyi district’s main stadium in Bushenyi town. The celebrations have been organized and funded by citizens under their umbrella Make Bushenyi Great Again (MBUGA).
The theme underscores the remarkable achievements and advancements made by Bushenyi people and the district since its inception, shining a light of the substantial growth and development witnessed within the district over the past 50 years.
Bushenyi remained a giant until when it was split to create the districts of Ntungamo and later Sheema, Rubirizi, Mitooma, Buhweju.
Bushenyi/Ishaka Deputy town clerk Gilbert Boona flagging off the planting of trees and cleaning Bushenyi town ahead of Friday’s celebrations to mark 50 years of Bushenyi district.
Addressing journalists at his office on Tuesday, the district chairman Jaffari Bassajjabalaba said the celebrations will be dedicated to mobilizing and rallying Bushenyi people, leaders and stakeholders in the district to focus on sustaining the growth/development through intensifying education and engaging in poverty eradication programs.
“Bushenyi was branded as a model district because of its uniqueness in doing things and we want to re-strategize and see how we can double our efforts despite the challenges of low revenues especially after the area was split,” Bassajjabalaba noted adding that, “we still have the strength where we can build from.”
He said they have already started discussions with the districts which were curved out to see how they can negotiate for strengthening of regional services of which Bushenyi will be the host since it’s at the centre of the 5districts.
“Yes, they (districts) became independent but that doesn’t mean that we cannot work together/jointly to implement a number of regional projects,” Bassajjabalaba explained.
Bushenyi now hosts regional services like the police, the high court, universities, among others.
Hajji Suleiman Byekwaso who is one of the elders that have seen Bushenyi grow since 1974 regretted that had it not been the former president Idi Amin’s regime that shook the entire country, Bushenyi would be far ahead interms of development.
“Bushenyi is among the districts that the former president Milton Obote had branded and attracted investors (Indians) who set up their businesses but when Amin took over he chased them away causing the collapse of the businesses,” Byekwaso said.
Byekwaso said that among the reasons which have spurred Bushenyi’s growth/development is because of the issue of land that is fertile which enables people to grow food for their families. “Some people in other regions think that government gives us free money which is not the case because Bushenyi people are very hardworking,” he argued. He also said Bushenyi people mastered and understood well the issue of education. “During Obote time, at some point out of 18 ministers that Obote appointed, Bushenyi had 5ministers,” he recalled.
Byekwaso commended the NRM regime saying, “Unlike in the past regimes, I have enjoyed peace throughout the NRM regime. During Obote’s regime, I would get arrested every time Obote would be to visit the district.”
“Some of my properties were destroyed and routed during the turmoil days of Amin and Obote,” he recalled.
He described the rate at which Bushenyi is developing as impressive warning that, “what we want now is a sustained peaceful environment.”
Byekwaso further petitioned government to address the issue of corruption and also address the increasing gaps between the rich and the poor and the increasing levels of poverty. “The cost of living is very high,” he said.
Among the areas that need urgent attention in Bushenyi include; population pressure, land fragmentations, unproductive soils, unemployment, the declining of economic activities especially in the tea industry that has gone to the ‘dogs’, the increasing cost of education among others. End
