Busia Cultural Leader Calls for Share of Customs Revenue

What the report says

Bugwe cultural leaders in Busia District are urging the government to let local communities benefit more directly from the area’s trade and mineral activity. According to Nile Post, the call came from His Highness Robert Obara, the cultural leader of Obwenengo bwa Bugwe, during a visit by NRM National Treasurer Barbara Nekesa Oundo to the institution’s headquarters in Busumba Village.

Obara said Busia’s gold mining and cross-border commerce generate substantial revenue, but residents near the economic hubs have not seen enough of the gains. He asked officials to review limits on gold royalties and to consider a system that would return part of the customs revenue collected at Busia’s border post to the district.

The appeal focused on the Busia One Stop Border Post, which Obara described as an important gateway for trade between Uganda and Kenya. He argued that the communities around it still face development needs and should share in the benefits of the traffic and revenue produced there. The story frames this as part of a broader discussion about local ownership of resource and border-related earnings.

Nekesa responded by promising continued government support for cultural institutions and their development work. Nile Post also reported that she donated cash to the institution’s education fund and provided cattle to support farming and income-generating projects. The article notes that Obwenengo bwa Bugwe operates under Uganda’s Traditional and Cultural Leaders Act of 2013.