Editor
Mbarara District Local Government, in collaboration with the Legal Aid Service Providers Network (LAPSNET), has launched a five-year project aimed at strengthening crime prevention and the criminal justice system in Uganda. The initiative seeks to enhance court administration mechanisms and improve access to quality legal aid services.
The launch ceremony, held at the Mbarara District Council Hall in Kamukuzi, was presided over by the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Mbarara, Turyabagyenyi Emmanuel Kateera. During the event, a memorandum of understanding was signed, and eleven bicycles along with one motorcycle were handed over to the district by Dr. Sylvia Namubiru Mukasa, the Chief Executive Officer of LAPSNET.
The ceremony was attended by several notable figures, including Mbarara District Chairperson Didus Tumwesigye Tabaro, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Betty Tinks, and District Community Development Officer Hilary Muhumuza, among others.
RDC Turyabagyenyi emphasized that preventing drug abuse starts within the community, particularly by engaging parents. He noted that drug abuse is a learned behavior rather than an inherent trait. He advised project implementers to involve youth and religious leaders in collaboration with counselors and local government to establish bylaws that regulate activities such as alcoholism, gambling, and the use of lodges where youth might acquire negative habits.
Chairperson Didus Tumwesigye Tabaro urged the project implementers to target schools, suggesting that many harmful behaviors are learned in educational settings.
Dr. Sylvia Namubiru Mukasa explained that the event’s purpose was to launch the government-supported project, which focuses on districts with high rates of substance abuse and tendencies toward violent extremism among the youth. Mbarara District is one of twenty such districts identified for this initiative.
