SENGA HILL MP DEMANDS IMMEDIATE PAYMENT OF FARMERS
Senga Hill Independent Member of Parliament Mukwavi Sichula has called for the immediate payment of farmers, saying delayed payments are undermining their ability to prepare for the next farming season and sustain their families.
Speaking on Capital FM’s Mid-Morning with Womba, Sichula said his primary responsibility was to represent the concerns of Senga Hill and ensure that challenges facing the district formed part of the national conversation.
He said farmers’ payments were currently the most pressing concern for his constituents.
“I have the mandate to speak for Senga Hill and what the people of Senga Hill want today is very simple: they want farmers to be paid,” Sichula said.
Sichula said he had deliberately adopted a district-focused approach because he had been mandated to speak for Senga Hill and its people, including farmers.
He said delayed payments could prevent farmers from redeeming fertiliser and preparing adequately for the following agricultural season.
“But for now, the most pressing issue for us is that farmers must be paid,” Sichula stressed.
The lawmaker said challenges affecting rural communities differed from those experienced in urban areas, arguing that national discussions should take into account the realities of different districts.
He said Senga Hill was the second-poorest district among Northern Province’s 13 districts, despite having land and people willing to work, arguing that the major challenge was inadequate infrastructure and economic inputs.
“What we do not have are the necessary inputs and infrastructure to unlock that potential,” Sichula stated.
Sichula also raised concerns about electricity access, saying approximately 70 percent of people in his district remained without electricity.
He said his agenda included connecting more communities to the national grid and improving access to infrastructure and economic opportunities
“So, my agenda is very clear: connect us to the national grid and give our people access to electricity,” Sichula emphasized.
The MP further highlighted challenges involving young people who had been trained through Constituency Development Fund-supported programmes but were reportedly awaiting grants and allowances.
He said CDF resources should be aligned with the economic realities of rural communities, including agriculture, fish farming, livestock production and value addition.
Sichula proposed the development of fish ponds, local livestock infrastructure and processing facilities for crops such as sunflower and beans.
He also called for improved aggregation and marketing of beans produced in Senga Hill, saying farmers could be vulnerable to exploitation when they lacked organised markets and reliable price information.
“We have to create our own economics, and we have to create our own wealth,” Sichula said.
He said better data on local production could attract investors and support the establishment of value-addition facilities in the district, creating employment and markets for local producers.
“That is why, for me, the immediate mandate is simple: pay us,” Sichula stressed.
Sichula said his role was to communicate challenges to authorities and relay government feedback to residents, warning that failure to perform either responsibility would amount to failing the people he represented.
“My job is therefore very specific,” he stated.
He said he intended to remain focused on issues he understood and had challenged residents to assess his performance over the next three years.
“Give me three years and come back and check whether I have departed from the path I have set for myself or whether I am still on track,” Sichula emphasized.