Busia Cultural Leader Calls for Share of Customs Revenue

What the report says

Bugwe cultural leaders in Busia District are pressing the government to let local communities benefit more directly from economic activity tied to gold mining and cross-border trade. According to Nile Post, His Highness Robert Obara, the cultural leader of Obwenengo bwa Bugwe, said residents around Busia have not received a fair share of the wealth generated in the area.

Obara made the appeal during a visit by NRM National Treasurer Ambassador Barbara Nekesa Oundo to the Obwenengo bwa Bugwe headquarters in Busumba Village, Busia District. He asked officials to relax restrictions on gold royalties and to consider allowing Busia District to receive part of the revenue collected at the Busia One Stop Border Post. He argued that the border post’s commercial importance should be matched by more visible development for nearby communities.

The report says Busia’s border trade and mining activity are important sources of revenue, but local people continue to face development needs. Obara’s remarks reflect a wider push from leaders in the area for a stronger local share of proceeds from national economic assets.

Nekesa responded by promising continued government support for cultural institutions and their projects. During the visit, she donated Shs10 million to the institution’s education fund and provided cattle to support farming and income-generating activities. Obwenengo bwa Bugwe was established under Uganda’s 2013 Traditional and Cultural Leaders Act.