Lack of funds affecting operations of Kabarole youth center

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kabarole youth centre is struggling to operate effectively due to lack of funds.

The centre which President Yoweri Museveni commissioned in 2015 was constructed under the Luweero-Rwenzori Development Programme at 300 Million shillings. The programme was an intervention by the government to improve the livelihoods of communities which suffered destruction during the 1981-1986 National Resistance Army – NRA war and the 1996-2003 Allied Democratic Forces rebel insurgency.

It was meant to host a social hall, offices for rent, an internet café and be used to equip the youth with skills in computer and other fields.

However since the commissioning, it has never served its intended purpose. For instance in 2016, the district rented it out to Kampala International University – KIU to host their students who were doing an internship at Fort Portal Regional Hospital at 1.5 million shillings monthly.

At the time of vacating in 2019, KIU left behind arrears of water and electricity bills and some of the facilities inside like toilets had broken down.

The youth leaders then were forced to use part of the 60 million shillings that KIU had paid as rent to make repairs to the structure.

Boniface Birungi, the new youth council chairperson says for the centre to operate effectively, they need money to buy computers for skilling the youth, maintaining the compound that is now bushy and renovating pit latrines that are full and in bad shape.

He also says they need to refurbish the office rooms that can be rented out but they are financially constrained.

Birungi says they are now planning to meet the district leaders to come up with a budget and possible sources of money to fund their priorities.

Gilbert Muhumuza, a youth in Kabarole argues that since 2015, the centre has never helped them in any way. He is of a view that a separate team should be put in place to manage it and not the youth leaders who have politicized the facility and failed its operations over the years.

Margaret Kabajwara, the Kabarole female youth councillor says that since the youth centre belongs to Kabarole district but is currently located in Nyabukara ward, Central division, Fort Portal tourism city, there should be a way to enable youth from both sides to benefit.

She suggests that leaders in Kabarole and Fort Portal can sign a Memorandum of Understanding detailing how such an arrangement can work.

Currently, the centre is lying idle and under key and lock.

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