By Ateireho Muhabuzi | Kagadi
Kagadi Town Council has strengthened its partnership with the Uganda Rural Development and Training program (URDT) to accelerate socio-economic transformation through improved service delivery, investment promotion, and community development.
The engagement, held on Tuesday at the URDT campus during the Foundation Course, brought together political and technical leaders from the town council and the URDT family to discuss collaborative strategies for implementing the council’s development agenda and ensuring that interventions respond to the needs of residents.
Speaking during the meeting, Kagadi Town Council Chairperson William Mugenyi Kasaija outlined the council’s strategic priorities, which are aimed at expanding the local revenue base, improving public service delivery, and positioning Kagadi for eventual elevation to municipality status.
Among the key priorities are the renovation of the Kagadi Dairy Market, strengthening women’s Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations (SACCOs) to promote financial inclusion and entrepreneurship, expanding the industrial area to attract investment and create jobs, creating additional LC I villages to improve governance and service delivery, enhancing security, and developing resident-friendly policies.
Kasaija emphasized that achieving these goals will require strong partnerships between local government, development institutions, and the community.
“Our vision is to transform Kagadi Town Council into a modern, prosperous, and well-planned urban centre. We cannot achieve this alone. We need institutions like URDT to work with us by sharing expertise, mobilizing communities, and supporting programmes that improve livelihoods and promote sustainable development,” Kasaija said.
The Vice Chairperson of Kagadi Town Council and Male Councillor for Mambugu Ward, Benazir Akonyera, said the council has embarked on stakeholder engagement meetings to ensure residents and development partners actively contribute to shaping the town’s future.
According to Akonyera, the consultations are helping the council gather community views that will guide the implementation of its strategic plan in areas such as infrastructure, environmental conservation, education, healthcare, and economic empowerment.
“These field engagements are giving residents a voice in determining the development priorities of the town. The ideas we collect will help us implement programmes that respond directly to the aspirations and needs of our communities,” Akonyera said.
The Founder of URDT and African Rural University (ARU), Dr. Mwalimu Musheshe, welcomed the collaboration and pledged the institution’s continued support towards the town council’s development agenda.
He said URDT remains committed to promoting sustainable community development through environmental conservation, skills development, and the empowerment of women and young people.
“Our partnership with Kagadi Town Council presents an opportunity to build self-reliant communities and create lasting socio-economic change. We encourage our staff and partners to actively support the implementation of the council’s strategic plans for the benefit of all residents,” Dr. Musheshe said.
The partnership is expected to strengthen coordination between the local government and one of the region’s leading development institutions as Kagadi Town Council pursues its long-term vision of becoming a municipality while improving the quality of life for its residents.
The News Editor ,Reporter at Kagadi Kibaale community Radio
