A Battle for Land and Progress, Apostle Jefferson Okello’s Struggle for Development In Tororo
Shift Media News 
BY ROBERT KAMUKAMA
KAMPALA, Uganda|SHIFTMEDIA| Government efforts to purchase radion and Television sets to aid learning for pupils have hit another snag after MPs threw their proposal to borrow for this cause.
The members of Parliament also decided to chop the budget for construction of roads in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by half.
State Minister for Finance, David Bahati had told parliament that government intends to borrow 200 billion Shillings to finance its contribution which constitutes 2 per cent of the total cost of the 223-kilometre road in the DRC whos total construction is estimated to cost USD 334.5 million.
Led by the chairperson Hajjat Sydda Bbumba, Bahati had difficult time pleading with the legislators who reminded him that government has other priority areas that also need urgent funding.
The Members of the National Economy Committee of Parliament suggested that the funding be given out in phases. This means that the government should release 100 billion Shillings this financial year to finance the road and do the same in the next financial year.
The MPs told David Bahati to first purchase half of the budgeted radio sets to facilitate continuity of learning or non-candidate classes during the lockdown.
The government had budgeted Ugx 336 billion Shillings for the purchase, but the MPs only approved 168 billion Shillings for this cause.
The committee chairperson Syda Bbumba said that instead of purchasing nine million radios for learners, the government can start with about five million radio sets while tracking the efficiency of the project.
“We are not even sure of the quality of the radios, they may turn out to be like the masks, that were fake,” said Bbumba.
“How will Government deliver these radio sets when they failed to deliver the face masks?” asked Kasilo County MP Elijah Okupa.
