Imagine a place so vast, it's bigger than entire districts, yet it's treated as a single unit. That's the reality facing Rujumbura County, and Security Minister Jim Muhwezi is on a mission to change it. He's vowing to fight for the long-overdue split of the constituency, arguing it's the only way to ensure fair resource allocation and improved services for everyone. But here's where it gets controversial... is splitting a constituency always the right answer?
Rtd Maj Gen Jim Muhwezi Katugugu, the current Rujumbura County MP and Security Minister, recently kicked off his re-election campaign with a bold promise: to finally push through the division of Rujumbura County. Speaking at campaign rallies in Masya Parish, Kyakagyeme Sub-county, where he addressed voters in various cells including Nyakahanga A and B, Shongora, Mabungo, Rwamunyinyo, Munyeganyegye, Kanyabihara, Nyabugando, Kashenyi, and Burambira, Muhwezi emphasized the critical need for this split. His core argument? Rujumbura is simply too large to function effectively as a single constituency.
To truly grasp the scale, Muhwezi points out that Rujumbura is geographically larger than entire districts like Rukiga and Mitooma. And this is the part most people miss... Mitooma, for example, boasts three separate constituencies, while Rujumbura, encompassing five sub-counties (Nyakagyeme, Ruhinda, Bwambara, Bugangari, and Buhunga), two town councils (Rwerere and Bikurungu), and a staggering 47 parishes, remains a single, unwieldy electoral area. This disparity, he argues, leads to significant disadvantages for the residents of Rujumbura.
Muhwezi doesn't shy away from placing blame, accusing previous leadership of being “asleep on duty” back in 2016. He asserts that they failed to capitalize on opportunities when the government was actively creating new districts, sub-counties, town councils, and parishes. He highlights a stark contrast: Rukungiri District maintained 16 sub-counties and town councils, while neighboring Kanungu surged from 9 to 27. This imbalance, according to Muhwezi, directly impacts both representation and access to crucial government programs.
He uses the Parish Development Model (PDM) as a prime example. Under the PDM, a parish with just three cells receives the same UGX 100 million as a parish in Rujumbura with a massive 21 cells. This means that in Rujumbura, resources are stretched far thinner, making effective service delivery significantly more challenging. Imagine trying to provide adequate support to every household with such limited funds – it's a daunting task!
Muhwezi passionately believes that splitting Rujumbura into two constituencies would pave the way for establishing essential social services closer to the people. He envisions a primary school in every parish, a Health Centre III in each sub-county, and a secondary school in every sub-county. These, he argues, are the cornerstones of genuine grassroots development. But here's a counterpoint: wouldn't simply allocating more resources to the existing constituency achieve the same goals without the complexities of redrawing boundaries?
The minister's renewed commitment to this split is certain to ignite a fresh wave of debate on the administrative restructuring of Rujumbura County. This issue has already been gaining momentum during the campaign season, and Muhwezi's stance will undoubtedly intensify the discussion.
Now, it's your turn. Do you believe splitting Rujumbura County is the best solution for improved service delivery and fairer resource allocation? Or are there alternative approaches that could be more effective? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
