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{
    "id": 676391,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/676391/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 174,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 3036,
        "legal_name": "Timothy Wanyonyi Wetangula",
        "slug": "timothy-wanyonyi-wetangula"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I wish to support this Motion. The village elders are the first level of leaders that we have at the lowest level of our society. Those are the people who manage even the expectations that people have at that level in the society. Village elders are the people whom the Government does not appreciate because most of them are volunteers. They are opinion leaders who always manage some of the things that go on in the remotest parts of this country. For a long time, before the society came up with the judicial system, village elders acted as judges of many other things that go on within that level in the society. I remember that during the KANU days, village elders acted as grassroots mobilizers whenever the president visited their areas. They are the people who would inform people and create awareness. The Government even used to transmit public policies to the grassroots through the village elders. It is, therefore, important that they should be recognized and be given some token of appreciation for the work that they do at that level. Sometimes, we take for granted the people who manage so many things at the village level. From the family level all the way to the chiefs, those are the important people. We should give them a token of appreciation. We must also encourage the Government to use those people. In a country like Uganda, if visitors enter a village, it is a prerogative of their hosts to report to the village elder, so that it is known that there are strangers in the village. We have been experiencing issues of insecurity in this country because foreigners live within our midst and we do not report them the authorities. Those are the people who are hitting us. They are organized criminals. Some of them are terrorists who come and assemble bombs within our neighbourhoods. If village elders are organized in that manner, and they are given appreciation and recognition, they will always enforce the unity of purpose for the Government and for all of us, and ensure that security is taken care of from the lowest level of our society. The Governments’ Nyumba Kumi Initiative can only work if village elders are appreciated and given recognition. Those are the people who manage minor security issues before the police or other authorities appear on the scene. For those of us who represent constituencies that have informal settlements, we have so many things that are happening there. We have gender-based violence and disasters like fire are happening. Before you call the fire brigade to come, those are the people who deal with those issues. Those are very important people. I believe, if we can do anything to appreciate them, it will go a long way to address some of the historical injustices in our society. Some of those people do not live very well, as they live from hand to mouth. With those remarks, I support."
}