Kabale Leaders Want Poverty Reduction Prioritised in Kigezi Development Plan

What the report says

Leaders in Kabale District are urging that the proposed Kigezi Regional Development Plan place stronger emphasis on poverty reduction, reducing school dropout rates among boys, and expanding road funding. According to Nile Post, the appeal was made during a consultative meeting at Kabale District headquarters convened by the National Planning Authority to review the draft plan.

Kabale District Chief Administrative Officer Robert Mugabe said the draft should set out clear measures to tackle poverty and the growing number of boys leaving school early, which local officials view as a barrier to long-term development. He also raised concern about the Shs1 billion road allocation, saying it does not match the costs of building and maintaining roads in Kigezi’s steep, mountainous terrain.

Mugabe argued that better roads would improve access, support trade and strengthen service delivery across the sub-region. Kabale District Chairperson Denis Nzeirwe, meanwhile, called for closer alignment between national priorities and district plans so that development efforts are coordinated and more equitable.

The consultations are meant to gather local input before the regional plan is finalised. In broader terms, the debate reflects a common development challenge in Uganda’s rural highland areas: balancing social priorities such as education and poverty reduction with costly transport infrastructure needs.