What is KACSOF?

Kabale Civil Society Forum - KACSOF - is the recognised district network of civil society organisations that agree to abide by its constitution.

Its formation was initiated by CSOs in the district which saw a need for networking in order to have a strong voice for advocacy, improved service delivery and mobilisation for specific goals.

The networking initative was picked for support by a USAID funded programme code-named 'Strengthening Decentralisation in Uganda' (SDU) which in 2003 assisted the formative and planning process up to the level of constitution formation and adoption, strategic planning and approval through to the level of electing an Executive Committee to oversee the implementation of the agreed strategic plan. From 2003 to the present, KACSOF has implemented programmes in line with its objectives. The one highlighted in this website is its participation in the fight against corruption through its membership of KICK.

Current members of the KACSOF Executive Committee?

The current KACSOF Executive Committee is comprised of the following people who originated from member organisations mentioned below:

• Chairman - Dr Anguyo Geoffrey representing Kigezi Healthcare Foundation (KIHEFO)
• Vice Chairman - Batabara Betty of Kabale Traders Association
• Secretary - Rwakatungu Caleb representing Foundation for Development of Rural Highland Areas (FODRHA)
• Treasurer - Bartazar Ndyomugabe - NEM group

The committee members are:

1. Babunkiza Bertha
2. Mrs Leocardia Rutuhe - Hamurwa Two Wings Agroforestry Women's Group
3. Betubiza Edson
4. Mwebesa Deus

In accordance with the KICK constitution, the Chairman of KACSOF as a member organisation is automatically a member of the KICK executive. Each member organisation has two places on the KICK Executive Committee. Batabara Betty is the other member of the KICK executive.

Sub-county networks

In order to be effective at grassroot level,district civil society networks are structured into sub-county networks. Each network forms a peer partnership with sub-county local governments which are autonomous corporate bodies and hence governments on their own with specific service delivery mandates. Kabale district has a total of 20 sub-counties but due to inadequate resources, KACSOF has formed civil society networks in the following sub-counties

1. Kaharo sub-county (which is the KACSOF pilot network)
2. Kamwezi sub-county
3. Bukinda sub-county
4. Ikumba sub-county
5. Hamurwa sub-county
6. Central division of Kabale Municipality
7. Southern division of Kabale Municipality
8. Nothern division of Kabale Municipality

Contact person / Office

Chairman -

• Dr Anguyo Geoffrey
• Phne - 0772449444
• email - anguyog@yahoo.com
• South Western Umbrella of Water and Sanitation Building,Plot 110 * Kabale-Mbarara road, opposite TOTAL,Room 6.

KACSOF Secretariat

KACSOF office is hosted in the KICK Secretariat Plot 110 Kabale Mbarara road, South Western Umbrella of Water and Sanitation Building, room 8 in Kabale Municipality. When you are in KACSOF office then you are in the KICK office or vice versa. The Secretariat is manned by a volunteer District Coordinator - Basheija Joseph - who also implements KICK programmes on behalf of the Forum as a member organisation.

Member organisations

One of the main functions of the sub-county networks is to recruit as many of the numerous community based organisations in the sub-county as possible. Currently KACSOF is a network of 166 member community based organisations.

Participation in KICK as an anti-corruption medium

KACSOF is a founder member of the anti-corruption coalition formation and participated as follows:

• Participated in the formative meeting (2003 In Ntungamo) and was elected Secretary to the task force that drafted the constitution
• Participated in the planning workshop (2003 in Mbarara) that brainstormed in the strategic planning process to lay the foundation of activities to be implemented by the anti-corruption coalition

KACSOF has participated in the anti-corruption week/day activities as follows:

• Ntungamo in 2003
• Kanungu in 2004
• Rukungiri in 2005
• Kisoro in 2006
• Kabale in 2007

KACSOF was more intensely involved in the funded anti-corruption week activities of 2006 under the theme "Tackling corruption in UPE" as follows:

• Inspection of access to information in the primary schools of Kibuzigye (Bubare sub-county), Kabahesi (Buhara sub-county), Kizinga (Kaharo sub-county) and (put later) in Kaharo sub-county
• Held a well attended dialogue meeting of members of the Management Committee and Parents Teachers Associations of the whole Kaharo sub-county and collected grassroot views on corruption in UPE
• Held "the bull by the horn" on specific issues like poor construction of the feeder road between Kakirimizi and Butambi in Kashambya sub-county

Future plans for participation in KICK activities

KACSOF is in integral part of the implementation team for the all KICK programmes in the capacity as one of the 4 founder member organisation. Kaharo sub-county is the area where all KICK programmes have been piloted before up-scaling to the rest of the district. The programmes are now extended to Buhara, Hamurwa and Rwamucucu sub-counties.