Story by Osuta Yusuf.
Maracha District.
28-October-2024.
Political leaders in Maracha District have on Sunday 27-10-2024 raised the challenges affecting the district, to Hon. Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire the Minister for Internal affairs.
The issues were raised during a meeting with Hon Minister Otaffire whom many people in Maracha District call as the father of the district because of the immense and active roles he played when he personally came in 2010 to give the district status for Maracha.
With unemployment being one of the cancers facing the District, Mr Edema John Bosco the Production Superintendent at Kinyara Sugar Ltd, who was part of the people that went weeks ago to have a pre-planning meeting with the Minister in Kampala about his coming to Maracha District and he had tasked him Mr Edema to look for a land he can buy to establish an investment, thanked the Minister for thinking about this kind of ventures, if established and completed, it would provide job opportunities for some of the people in the district.
Hon Driwaru Jennifer the Woman MP for Maracha District who expressed her gratitude to Hon Minister Kahinda Otafiire for accepting her request to come to Maracha District for fruitful meeting with the district stakeholders, asked him to remind President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to fulfill 100 million shs pledge he made in 2010 for construction of the district headquarter complex, a request the Minister accepted to present it to the President when he will be having a meeting with him this week.
The woman MP also appealed to the Minister to increase for them the number of police personnels since Maracha is a district having porous borders with high risks of criminality and insecurity.
It should be noted that Maracha, a district with a population of about 234,000 people operates with less than 95 Police officers, a number which is below the standard ratio of 1 police officer to 500 people.
While addressing the Minister and thanking the NRM government for the numerous achievements registered in Maracha District and the entire Country, the Deputy RDC for Maracha District, Koliba Monica Kotevu revealed Smuggling as some of the difficulties facing the district as some rowdy people recently attacked the Central Police Station in the district over impounding of smuggled goods by the police in the district.
Maracha District LC5 Hon Obitre Stephen who pointed to the stalled district headquarter structure construction due to lack of funds, appealed to the Minister and the government to establish a Youth Skilling Centre and a Hospital in Maracha District.
In his response, the Minister for Internal Affairs Hon. Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otaffire vowed to lobby, support and stand with Maracha District to make sure these challenges are addressed.
Because of the pivotal roles I played in grooming and making Maracha to become a district of its own, count me as part of you, Hon Otafiire added amidst cheers and handicaps from the leaders and residents.
The meeting which took place in LC5 Chairperson’s office was attended by the Woman MP for Maracha District Hon Driwaru Jennifer, the Maracha East Constituency MP Hon Ruth Lematia Molly Ondoru, the Regional Police Commander (RPC) for WestNile region SSP Ochama Denis, LC5 Chairperson Hon Obitre Stephen and His Councilors, the Deputy RDC Koliba Monica Kotevu, the DPC SP Joshua Kananura, Reverends among several other dignitaries.