Hon Manjeri Kyebakutiika is jealously concerned with the alleged relocation of the annual agricultural education show from Jinja city to Bukalasa in Luwero district.
Kyebakutiika on Tuesday June 11, 2024, led residents to protest against purported plans and initiated a petition to challenge individuals behind the deal.
In their petition Manjeri is planning to present to the speaker of the parliament, they are collecting over 50,000 signatures of people objecting to the relocation of the exhibition.
By Tuesday, over 5,000 signatures of people had been collected with people saying no to take tye agricultural show to Bukalasa.
“Even as we speak, we are still collecting the signatures. We want the Uganda Farmers’ federation and Agriculture ministry to know that the people of Jinja have spoken with one voice, and they are saying no to the relocation of the exhibition from Jinja,” she said.
Manjeri calls on the Busoga kingdom to join the subjects in the significant cause, appealing to the Kingdom Prime Minister Dr Joseph Muvawala and other stakeholders, including local leaders, and append their signatures on the petition.
Holding placards reading “we want our our show in Jinja”, the legislator and residents stormed the agriculture show grounds located at the source of the Nile singing songs demanding for the show.
Kyebakutiika says if relocated, the important event will affect the local economy of Jinja as it is estimated to fetch close to a tune of shs2 billion.
“This money comes to our local people that are fighting to make ends meet, and you know very well that a ‘mutembeyi’ [Manjeri], these are the people that I identify with,” she said.
Hawkers, tour guides around Jinja, Bodaboda riders, Taxi drivers, craft sellers, food vendors and accommodation facilities among others remain the beneficiaries of the show which the legislator said she was speaking for them.
She said anyone intending to relocate the show to another area is directly taking away shs2 billion from the pockets of Jinja locals.
Besides the economic benefit, the show has been used by schools with students acquiring practical knowledge in the agricultural sector.
“I wish to remind you that Bukalasa where they want to take it, they already have Bukalasa Agricultural Institute, which is one of the biggest government funded Agricultural institutions around the country. Most of the other subregions have got public institutions offering these services even up to university level, but Busoga has nothing,” she said.
Manjeri states that; “it is a shame that even this small chance that our already disadvantaged learners get to aquire the practical information on agriculture, agribusiness, horticulture, value addition and among others is now being taken away to be added to Bukalasa where they already have so much.”
Recently, the Ministry of agriculture animal industry and Fisheries communicated in a statement that the Ministry of Education and Sports is organizing the third national education exhibition scheduled for June 24 to 29, 2024 in Bukalasa.
It was, however, challenged by the Uganda National Farmers Federation (UNFFE) that also released statements that the show shall be organized in the Jinja agricultural ground on June 24 to 29, 2024.
Nelson Tukundane, the spokesperson of UNFFE, earlier maintained that the show shall be conducted in Jinja.
