TIU holds her 20th

AGM

1ST - 31ST JULY 2015

Volume 1, Issue 3

P.O Box 24335Ntinda Kampala, Plot 3 Martyrs Lane. Tel: 0414 255836 Website: www.tiuganda.org E-mail: info@tiuganda.org Facebook: tiuganda twitter: transparencyUga

On behalf of TIU, it is with great

pleasure that I share with you the

2nd issue of the TIU Newsletter

for the month of June.

We appreciate the feedback

given to us regarding the first

issue and would like to inform

you that efforts are underway to

ensure that we make this news-

letter better

We present to you a snap shot

of activities implemented under

the different projects in the month

of July.

Enjoy your reading

Lilian Z. Senteza

Editorial

NEWSLETTER Monthly

AGM also known as Annual

Meeting is a meeting that offi-

cial bodies and associations

involving the general public,

are often required by law to

hold. It is held every year to

inform their members of pre-

vious and future activities. It

is an opportunity to for the

shareholders and partners to

receive copies of the organi-

zation’s accounts as well as

reviewing fiscal information

for the past year. On 09th July

2015, TIU held her 20th AGM

that brought on board mem-

bers to share information

about TIU’s successes, chal-

lenges and plans for the sub-

sequent year.

In a half day high level multi-stakeholder meeting held at Hotel Afri-cana on the 22nd of July 2015, Trans-parency International Uganda (TIU) in partnership with Civic Response on Environment and Development (CRED) launched a joint report themed “UP AGAINST GIANTS: Oil Influenced land injustices in the Albertine Graben in Uganda.” The report focused on the four case

studies of oil-based community disen-

franchisement in different parts of the

oil-based community in the Albertine

Report on Oil-related Land Injustices in the Albertine Graben launched

Graben and highlights major findings on

how local communities with significant-

ly less agency and power are fraudulent-

ly losing their lands to elites who contin-

ue to act with impunity.

The Minister of State for Lands, Hon.

Idah Nantaba in her closing remarks,

read by Mr. Denis Obbo the Principal

Information Scientist at the Ministry of

Lands noted that the Albertine Graben

has witnessed new land access patterns

and land administration

TIU BoD, Staff and Members posing for a photo after the AGM

workers and district officials to interface with the communities represented by the VACs to validate on specific issues and discuss a way forward for improved service delivery. In the education sector, issues like irregular dis-bursement of salaries, staff absenteeism and UPE capitation grant not reimbursed in time, were raised. Corruption in Sembabule District Service Commission manifested in the re-cruitment process, Irregularities in the ap-pointment of some of the members in the ser-vice commission, inadequate number of teachers which has been worsened by teach-ers’ abscondment. All this has led to a reduc-tion of pupils from over 300 to 131 pupils, there is no motivation for the teachers, low teacher staffing levels in the district, Parents Teachers Association (PTA) contribution is not enough to recruit enough private teachers

to fill the gap left, political influence in the education sector, weak School Management Committees (SMCs) as well as weak discipli-nary action against misconduct of teachers.

In her communication, the Ag. CAO for Sembabule dis-

trict, Ms. Hellen Najjingo noted that TIU monitoring has

helped improve education standards in the district espe-

cially in Mateete and Lwemiyaga sub counties and thus

asked TIU to scale up to other sub counties with in the

district so that similar developments can be attained.

Page 2

which have partly contributed to generation of land conflict. She em-phasized that land grabbing chal-lenges urgently require Government to provide an efficient and effective land administration and manage-ment system to enable communities co-exist with the oil investments. Below are some of the links about the event: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/CSOs-cry-out-on-land-titles/-/688334/2804650/-/o0r1ym/-/index.html http://www.observer.ug/

business/38-business/38987-oil-

rich-hoima-struggles-to-solve-the-

land-question Ms. Kathleen Brophy, the Programme Officer for Oil and Extractives making a presentation of the

report

Following a series of reports received by TIU from the members of the Voluntary Accountability Committees (VACs) citing weakness-es in the health and education sectors, interface forums with key stakeholders in the health and education sectors attended by se-lected officials like head teachers, VACs, DEOs, CAO, Chairpersons, DHOs, School Inspectors, Health Centre In charges, and TIU staff were organized. These created a platform for the teachers, health

Interface Forum in Sembabule and Masaka Districts

LCV district Councillor Hon. Betty Twine promising to talk to the CAO and the district LCV

C/person

Page 3

This is contrary to some facilities visit-ed for Example Nsanji HC3 that exhibit-ed excellent storage and lab facilities

About infrastructure, most In charges complained of poor and lack of accom-modation which directly translates to late coming and sometimes absentee ism. Some of the Health Centers are not easily accessible. TIU also received complaints of limited access to infor-mation which was confirmed from our verification visit.

This emanates on both sides from the health facility and community repre-sentatives in the process of sourcing for this information. There is purport-ed directive from the District Health Office not to reveal any information without authorization. Notwith-standing, most of the health facilities visited never displayed PHC (primary health care) funds, an indicator of lack of transparency translating into integ-rity issues.

As a result of community reporting through the Action for Transparency (A4T) application, a number of cases ranging from land grabbing, denial of basic health information, non display of financial PHC funds, absenteeism of health workers, inappropriate delivery of medicines as well as wrong accounta-bilities have been registered through the A4T application. A verification exer-cise was thus carried out to ascertain the accuracy of the information re-ceived. It was discovered that there was land grabbing at Kasozi and Nabutiti Health Centre 3. The Nabutiti Health Centre land wrangle was solved, the land in contention was given back to the Heath Centre and the health facility now has a land title. Most Health Centres visited especially Health Centre IIIs at Sub County level expressed an outcry of the current push system which the in charges referred to as nonrealistic given that most health facilities have been treated as dumping cites because they receive drug consign-ments from NMS without their discre-tion. The highly demanded drugs are supplied in minimal quantity, some al-most expiring, yet other drugs delivered are not needed at all. In some Health facilities especially HC IVs there was an outcry of lack of proper storage of drugs. The available stores are not enough to accommodate medicines and other important equipment.

A4T team with the Acting In charge, SAS and District Counselor (Right) at Kasanje Hc3, dur-ing the verification visits

The Women, Land and Corruption project taking shape in Uganda A half day workshop with the stakeholders was car-

ried out to validate the findings and generate feedback

that would enrich the Women, Land and Corruption

report. This workshop attracted a cross section of peo-

ple including government agencies, CSOs as well as

Development Partners. All stakeholders appreciated

the initiative and pledged to work collectively with

TIU in the implementation of this project. The Ag. Di-

rector Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Develop-

ment, Ms. Sarah Kulata who was the Chief Guest

thanked TIU for the initiative and mentioned that the

report was informative and captures the issues affect-

ing women in achieving their land rights as enshrined

in the constitution of the Republic of Uganda. Some of the participants during the presentation of the WLC draft report and advocacy plan at Hotel Africana

The state of Health Centres in Wakiso District

Page 4 Abala Health Center III gets new Out Patient Depart-

ment (OPD) building Abala HC III in Agweng Sub County in

Lira district had a major challenge of

inadequate space and poorly equipped

OPD. Initially, the Health Center had

an OPD that was quite small and poor-

ly equipped so the health center ad-

ministration opted to shift to a staff

house which also accommodated the

maternity facility. This issue was re-

ported through the call center several

times. Both the maternity and the OPD

received overwhelming number of patients. TIU made a verification visit to the afore mentioned health center and discovered a dire situa-tion that needed urgent intervention. A stakeholders meeting was instanta-neously convened to discuss and find ways of addressing the issues at the health center where the district offi-cials pledged to construct an OPD and a Maternity facility.

TIU made untiring follow up on the promises made by the district officials and was very pleased that their com-mitments were translated into action. A new and well equipped OPD was recently completed and has already been commissioned and now opera-tional.

The staff house that was being used as the Maternity Ward and

OPD at the same time

The new OPD building at Abala Health Center III

In a bid to reduce the sale of agro—

input counterfeit products, a call cen-

tre was established where people

from different parts of the country call

in to report related cases.

For the month of July, Complaints

were the most common type of calls

with 40% which represents a signifi-

cant achievement for the call center

since complaints help to generate the

richest data regarding counterfeit

products. Complaints play a big role in

the development of interventions to

prevent the sale of counterfeit goods.

34% for general inquiries was ex-

pected since outreach occurred in

new regions where sensitization had

not yet occurred prompting people

to call and find out about the toll-

free line and generally, how it works

and the interventions put in place to

fight counterfeit. Agricultural relat-

ed questions also represent about

15% of calls. These were registered

as “agricultural related questions”

when the call related to agricultural

assistance, inquiries or

both counterfeit and non-

counterfeit.

Non-related questions at

7% occur when people call

to report issues that are

completely irrelevant to the

objective of the call centre.

4% encompassed callers that called in

to allege. Such calls were registered as

“allegations” when someone called in

alleging that an individual or group

were knowingly involved in counterfeit-

ing, to appreciate the good work that

TIU is doing As well as callers that were

following up on their already reported

complaints/allegations.

Cases received at the agro input counterfeit call center