BIG STORY: Why Minister Musenero blocked 800bn funding to TRIDI Sericulture Project
By; our reporter
National: Residents and leaders of Kween District have rejected and disowned the Sericulture Project that was being implemented under Tropical Institute of Development Innovations (TRIDI) and funded under the Ministry of Science Technology & Innovation (STI).
However the project hit a snag after the minister for Science Technology and Innovation Dr. Monica Musenero blocked funding from the project claiming there was no value for money.
Clet Wandui Masiga the forcal person in this project took to the press his dissatisfaction but the Minister didn’t bet an island but rather stuck to her decision.
Musenero told the Press that Government hasmd injected alot of money equivalent or more than 40 billion UGX but the work on ground wasn’t reflecting the amount of money invested.
Minister Musenero explains that, the project wasn’t sustainable as the implementors didn’t have the source of eggs to produce the silk warms which would later be used to make silk.
She says the implementors were proposing to get eggs from China which is far away and that the eggs would be damaged before reaching their destination.
Minister Musenero told Mbale Express TV that even the sites where the production was being made were too poor and substandard.
She adds that she proposed that the implementors of the project get expertise from within and abroad to construct standard structures which the TRIDI was reluctant to do.
Even the local content in the project was also lacking as almost all the employees were from out of Sebei Sub region excluding the nearby communities.
As a combination of the following factors, Dr. Musenero says she decided to cut of all the funding that the implementors had asked for.
She revealed that TRIDI has asked for upto a tube of 800 bn shillings before even accounting for the first 40 billion shillings they received in the first place.
While on her visit to Kween, locals of the area asked the Minister to intervene to stop the project on claims that the project had been personalized by one individual and that they had no benefit from the project.
They requested Government to take over the project or completely close it if possible.
Local leaders of the area also accused the implementors for locking them out during monitoring with the project forcal person claiming it’s his personal program and not for Government or society.
The Resident District Commissioner Kween Atuhaire Hope confessed that the project was completely owned by an individual but asked Government not to dissolve it but rather asked Government to take it over.
Chemaswet Abdi Fadhil Kisos , the Member of Parliament Soi County commended the Minister Musenero for sparing time to find out the facts on ground and asked her to terminate the project or find new persons to run the program.
He also concurred with the local leaders that the Sericulture project had been individualized by one person.
“We have realized that Sericulture has been owned by one person alone and this person has disadvantaged fellow Ugandans in participating in this project. ” Said Fadhil.
“Government invested money in that same project and this money is not felt in community.” He added.
“We were really fighting in Kampala thinking that this money has triggered into the community and we were blaming you honourable minister that you were denying us the opportunity to get this money in Sericulture but you can now see that the person has fenced the area and does not want people to access that particular Area, He doesn’t want even Government officials to go there.” He elaborated.
He also added that no one has benefited from the project. “We have learnt a lot today that even no body has benefited from that Project. And out our conclusion is that we have come to burry this project of Sericulture, So Sericulture had died, we have come to burry it now.” Said Fadhil.
“We are now at the Burial Ceremony”.
“It is now declared that this Sericulture project sometimes called mulberry has now been buried in a place called Chepteret, in Chepskunya Town Council.”
Fadhil told Mbale Express TV that the productivity acceleration that Hon. minister Musenero brought to Kween shall act as a replacement to the failed Mulberry Project.
In her response, the Minister for Science Technology and Innovation told the press that the implementors were implementing without planning.
“They were implementing without planning.”
“So part of the challenges of the silk project is that implementors were more anxious to get more money than to make sure that they are successfully implementing. ”
Dr. Musenero added that to have a successful project, one must have adequate land and have a reliable source of eggs of the silk warm.
“Before you plant mulberry tree that is going to be the source of food that feeds the warms, you must have a well organized source of eggs.”
“So what these friends did and what brought disagreements is that they went all over the country planting mulberry with no source of eggs. For two years they were hiring people to cut the mulberry and throw it away month by month because it grows very fast. ” She explains.
“So they spent 20bn to maintain the mulberry all over the country without actually having eggs and there was no plan have the eggs.”
“They say they import the eggs from China but by the time you import eggs and they reach Entebbe they are spoilt. In the country we have no source of eggs, so I was telling them ‘no’, can’t you pause a bit..?, Pause a bit let’s plan these things systematically they were like no, ‘for us we want more money to plant more mulberry’ , so that I give them money so that every month they cut mulberry and throw it away and they have already done for two years and I said ‘NO’, ‘We are not throwing away money more.'” Dr. Musenero explains.
“So they did not have systematic thinking of how to get this done. ”
Minister Musenero also noted that they implementers of the project didn’t respect technical advice from the Ministry.
“They didn’t respect technical, now with science & technology you Must be careful to observe standards because our science and technology is to produce products, the moment you do not follow standards nobody will buy your thing. So you will invest in it, produce it and nobody will buy it. So it will waste money.”
Dr. Musenero added that she advised that proper engineers be employed to put up modern structures but they implementers were adamant to take her advise.
“I was like if we are going to build a factory, let’s get proper engineering such that this factory will get certification, then we be able to export what comes out. They were like ‘No no no’. They were building ramshackled structures.”
“I visited all the sites and I was so ashamed of the facilities because I have standards. ”
“We have set our science and technology to produce the best, but they weren’t willing to learn but I see they are coming back around.”
Minister Musenero noted that even the business part of the industry doesn’t work. “But also the Kibalo of that industry does not work.”
Musenero revealed that the industry shall be redesigned into something better. “We are going to redesign it and the first phase is going to be to get the data because they were demanding that they have to be funded upto 800bn. That’s a lot of money, before you sink that money you must have data to confirm that actually this thing works.”
Minister Musenero also explains that since she has a limited number of Technical staff (19) she shad instructed them to work together with Ministry of Agriculture but the implementers were hesitant.
“This particular person was resistant to work with Ministry of Agriculture, they didn’t want work with Ministry of Agriculture so for me what I want is that let’s bring Ministry of Agriculture on board so that they can give extension services. ”
“They have 35 sites in 25 Districts, I don’t have staff to do that because I haven’t built my team to that level.”
In response, Dr. Clet Wandui Masiga the Executive Director Dr. Clet Wandui Masiga
TRIDI Executive Director denied allegations that he had personalized the project, blocking local leaders claiming the project is community driven.
“I wish to clarify that the claims about personalizing the project, blocking local authorities, or not employing them to work with the project are unfounded.” Dr. Clet said in response.
“The project is a community-driven initiative, and we have consistently aimed to involve local stakeholders in its operations. Any challenges that may have arisen were related to the legal and administrative hurdles, which I trust you understand have been the subject of ongoing court proceedings.” He added.
He Furthermore, added that the project is under full supervision by Government and it’s arms.
“The project is currently operating under the guidance of several legal frameworks, including active High Court injunctions and directives from the Attorney General’s Chambers. These legal processes, as well as presidential directives and parliamentary support, ensure that the project operates with full transparency and in compliance with national laws.”
He also left the door open for conflict resolution in case theirs is any. “I am committed to resolving any misunderstandings in the appropriate forums, as the matters are actively being addressed by relevant legal and government bodies.”
