Kitagwenda County Member of Parliament Robert Mugabe has raised concern on the floor of Parliament over the failure to operate coffee hullers and maize mills machines delivered to several sub-counties in Kitagwenda due to lack of electricity.
Speaking on the floor of parliament this week, Mugabe noted that the maize mills were delivered to Bukurungo Town Council and Kanara sub county,while coffee hullers to Buhanda and Kabujogera town council to support farmers by enabling them to process locally and add value to their produce.
However, he says the machines in Bukurungo,Buhanda and Kanara remain non-functional because the targeted areas have not been connected to a reliable power supply since 2021.
The legislator questioned why Kitagwenda, which hosts the Mpanga Power Dam, continues to face challenges accessing electricity generated from the project while neighbouring districts are benefiting from the power.
Mugabe says the situation is frustrating farmers who expected the maize mills to reduce the cost of transporting grain to distant processing centres and improve household incomes through value addition.
He has called on government to prioritize electricity connectivity to the affected areas so that the machines can become operational and benefit the communities for whom they were procured.
The MP also wants government to explain measures being taken to ensure communities hosting power-generating infrastructure directly benefit from the electricity produced.
The concern comes amid continued calls for increased investment in rural electrification and agro-processing to support farmers and promote local economic development