Residents of Kigoro Village in Nyamwamba Division, Kasese Municipality, are urging local leaders to address long-standing challenges of unsafe water, poor garbage collection and impassable roads.
They demand that leaders address the social service gaps in their areas, if they want to get their political participation.
The residents say many of them abandoned taking part in the on-going election because they have been disappointed by leaders who don’t work on social issues.
There has been very low turn up of voters during the local government elections across the entire district.
Jennifer Masika, a resident of Kigoro, said women in the area have not been adequately represented at different district fora’s despite constituting the majority of the voters in the district.
She accused the leaders of neglecting key community need particularly the persistent problem of unsafe water, which continues to affect residents daily lives.
Another resident, Laban Baluku, decried the flooding that hits the village whenever it rains, saying leaders have repeatedly ignored their plight.
He noted that many families who have been devastasted by flooding in the area didn’t turn up to vote because they felt neglected.
Saidi Kisuuki, says the failure by leaders to routinely interact with voters, invite them for council sittings is creating a huge gap between the leaders and the led.
He urges that during campaigns, candidates a make promises but unfortunately after assuming offices, majority disconnect themselves from these issues.
Jolly Katebwa, who lost the Kasese mayoral seat agrees that poor social service delivery has led to low voter turnout, as voters feel un motivated to participate.
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