Kikafunda Pushes for Village Knapsack Sprayers, Regional Cancer Centre for Kigezi

Rubanda District Woman Member of Parliament Hon. Evelyn Ninsiima Kikafunda has called on the government to provide a knapsack sprayer for every village across Uganda to boost agricultural productivity and support farmers battling crop pests and diseases.

Speaking during the 9th sitting of the First Session of the 12th Parliament, presided over by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, Ninsiima said the proposal would enable farmers, particularly those in rural areas, to increase crop yields and contribute to Uganda’s economic transformation.

The legislator, who said it was her maiden contribution on the floor of Parliament, thanked the people of Rubanda District for electing her and giving her the opportunity to serve them.

She also associated herself with President Yoweri Museveni’s State of the Nation Address, particularly the emphasis placed on agriculture as the engine for transforming Uganda into a middle-income and ultimately a USD 500 billion economy.

Ninsiima noted that agriculture employs about 70 percent of Uganda’s population, adding that 33.1 percent of households in the Kigezi Sub-region depend on subsistence farming.

Drawing from her experience as a practical farmer, she said many rural farmers cannot afford knapsack sprayers, making it difficult to control pests and diseases in time.

She argued that the shortage of spraying equipment has negatively affected crop production and appealed to government to supply at least one knapsack sprayer to every village.

“Many farmers in rural communities are unable to afford knapsack sprayers. Majority plant crops but cannot spray them in time, resulting in low productivity. Government should provide every village with a knapsack sprayer,” she said.

Using Rubanda District as an example, Ninsiima said the district’s 478 villages would greatly benefit from the initiative.

Beyond agriculture, the legislator also called on government to establish a Cancer Centre in the Kigezi Sub-region, saying the region’s growing cancer burden requires specialized treatment services closer to the people.

She observed that Kigezi, with a population of approximately 1.79 million people, currently lacks a regional cancer treatment facility, forcing patients to travel long distances to the Uganda Cancer Institute in Kampala or Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital.

According to findings she presented to Parliament, Kigezi records an estimated 1,200 new cancer cases annually, with Kabale registering about 220 cases, Rukungiri 190, Kanungu 170, Kisoro 150, Rubanda 130, and Rukiga 90.

She said the most common cancers in the region include cervical cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, oesophageal cancer, Kaposi Sarcoma, colorectal cancer, lymphoma, and leukaemia.

Ninsiima urged government to prioritise the establishment of a regional cancer centre in Kigezi, arguing that improved healthcare and agricultural support are both essential for inclusive development and the success of Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Strategy.

She maintained that healthy and productive farmers are key to achieving the country’s long-term economic aspirations.