Kumi farmers get lifeline as govt rolls out multi-billion projects

KUMI - Thousands of smallholder farmers in Kumi district in eastern Uganda are set for a major economic shift following the government’s commissioning of multi-billion investments aimed at boosting production, improving market access and expanding water coverage.

The projects, implemented under the Local Economic Growth Support (LEGS) programme, were unveiled during a two-day exercise last week presided over by the Minister of Local Government, Raphael Magyezi.

Magyezi said the multi-billion shilling projects, implemented under the Local Economic Growth Support (LEGS) programme, are designed to address key bottlenecks that have kept farmers trapped in subsistence agriculture.

The minister commissioned several flagship investments, including the rehabilitated Kajamaka Earth Dam, a rice processing and storage facility in Kanyum town council, and the first piped water system on Tisai island.

According to Magyezi, the Kajamaka Earth Dam, restored at a cost of sh3.87 billion after decades of disuse, will support irrigation, livestock farming, aquaculture and domestic water supply, significantly improving productivity.

“This is a significant addition to our water-for-production infrastructure and will directly improve livelihoods,” he said during a commissioning tour of projects in the district between March 24 and 25.

He added that the project has also improved road connectivity between Mukongoro town council and Kanyum subcounty, easing movement and trade.

To strengthen value addition, the government also established a sh560 million rice processing and storage facility in Kanyum.

Magyezi said the facility will reduce post-harvest losses and enable farmers to access better markets.

“This investment will help farmers process their produce, reduce losses, and negotiate better prices,” he said.

The minister commissioned several flagship investments, including the rehabilitated Kajamaka Earth Dam, a rice processing and storage facility in Kanyum town council, and the first piped water system on Tisai island. (Courtesy Photo)

The facility is supported by a tractor valued at sh198 million to boost mechanisation.
On Tisai Island, Magyezi said the installation of a sh478 million piped water system marks a major milestone for residents who have long depended on unsafe lake water.

“This is about equity. No community should be left behind because they are hard to reach,” he said.

The minister noted that beyond the flagship projects, the LEGS programme has financed additional infrastructure in Kumi, including the rehabilitation of the 13km Kakuresi to Kamaca road and the construction of the Agule Livestock Market.

He added that the programme has also expanded access to agricultural financing, with 13 farmer groups receiving nearly sh879 million through the Microfinance Support Centre.
In livestock development, Magyezi said 227 cows have been inseminated, producing more than 70 improved-breed calves.

Magyezi said the LEGS programme, currently implemented in 10 districts, aligns with the government’s decentralisation agenda and supports the transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture.

He urged local leaders and communities to ensure proper maintenance of the infrastructure to guarantee long-term benefits.

“These investments must be protected and sustained if they are to transform livelihoods,” he said.

Kumi district has since qualified for the second phase of the programme, with Magyezi reaffirming the government’s commitment to supporting rural economic growth.