Parliament has raised concern over the failure of government-funded sericulture projects in Sheema and Kiruhura districts to become operational, with legislators calling for urgent action to revive the initiative and recover the investment made in the projects.
Members of the Parliamentary Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation raised concerns during an inspection of the projects over the weekend, saying the stalled initiative could create jobs, increase household incomes and generate revenue if properly funded and managed.
Sericulture is the rearing of silkworms for the production of raw silk. In 2022, the government planned to invest 756 billion shillings over five financial years to promote sericulture across 50 districts. The current 41-billion-shilling government-funded project, established through the Tropical Institute of Development Innovations (TRIDI), was intended to promote silk production and commercialisation in several districts, including Sheema, Kiruhura, Bulambuli, Kween, Kamuli, Mubende, Mukono, Iganga, Luwero, Kayunga, Nakaseke, Bukedea, Zombo, Nwoya, Buikwe, Pallisa, Busia, Amolatar, Otuke, Lira, Agago and Pader.
In Sheema, the legislators were blocked from accessing the factory despite efforts to obtain clearance from the Chief Administrative Officer, Huddu Nsubuga. Nsubuga told the committee that he was not aware of the legislators’ visit. In Kiruhura, District Chairperson Dan Mukago Rutetebya said the district allocated 25 acres of land for the project, but the initiative failed after the contractor allegedly invested the funds allocated for the project in other projects across different districts.
Rutetebya said the district lost hope of benefiting from the project and later wrote to the contractor seeking an explanation but had not received a response. The committee, led by Kashari North Member of Parliament Patrick Musinguzi, said the inspection was part of Parliament’s oversight responsibility to establish whether public resources are being properly utilised and identify challenges affecting the implementation of government projects.
Musinguzi said the sericulture project had stalled for more than three years, partly because of funding challenges, but that Parliament was also interested in exploring ways of reviving it because of its potential to transform rural livelihoods. He said the project could create employment, improve household incomes, support rural communities and generate revenue for the country if adequately funded, properly managed and developed on a commercial scale.
Tororo Municipality Member of Parliament Shyam Jay Tanna said the committee had identified several gaps in the implementation of the project. He said the contractor would be summoned to Parliament to provide a detailed account of the project’s implementation and explain why it stalled.
Dr Clet Wandui Masiga, the Executive Director of TRIDI, said the institute had developed a proposal to expand sericulture production to about 50,000 hectares. Masiga said the proposed expansion would require an estimated 200 million dollars and could generate more than 300 billion shillings annually for Uganda once the industry is fully developed.
He attributed the failure to implement the expansion strategy to the suspension of government funding.
The Parliamentary Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation is continuing its oversight tour of government-supported industrial and agricultural projects, with visits planned to Inspire Africa Coffee Factory in Ntungamo District and the banana factory in Bushenyi District.-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
