The Governor of Kavango East Region, Hamunyera Hambyuka, says despite the region's challenges, Kavango East is laden with hope and promises.
In his State of the Region Address at Rundu on Friday, Hambyuka identified 15 priority actions for the 2026/2027 financial year.
Inadequate road infrastructure, the need for more Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) centres and a lack of youth-focused skills hubs are just some of the concerns Kavango East residents have been complaining about.
Governor Hambyuka told Kavango East inhabitants that he is on it.
"First, we will complete the upgrading of the DR3402 road from Uvhungu-vhungu to Divundu by the third quarter of 2026. Second, we will operationalise the Mashare Agricultural Development Institute as a TVET centre. Third, we will reduce uncollected identity documents by 50% through monthly mobile civil registration outreach. Fourth, we will launch one youth skills hub per constituency by the end of 2026, creating six hubs targeting 500 youth."
Talks about upgrading the Divundu Village Council to a Town Council have been on the cards for a while now, and Hambyuka says the upgrade will be made by the fourth quarter of 2026.
There have been a number of consultations and engagements over the years to restore the Uvhungu-Vhungu Dairy Farm to its former glory. The governor says by the fourth quarter of this year, the reticulation system and water services connection at the dairy farm will be complete.
The Ndiyona settlement, he says, is set for an upgrade.
He added that they will support ReconNamibia's production testing commencing in June 2026 and ensure local content benefits.
The governor says plans are underway to decentralise certain services by SOE's, while ensuring that infrastructure development in the town of Rundu is at the forefront.
"Tenth, we will actively lobby for a Business and Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA) office in Rundu to decentralise business registration, with submission by the third quarter of 2026. Eleventh, we will accelerate remaining Rundu Town Council projects, completing water towers and sewer networks by the fourth quarter of 2026 and finishing informal settlement projects by the second quarter of 2027. Twelfth, we will complete the Development Workshop Namibia and GIZ projects in Ndama Southwest and Ndama South by the first quarter of 2027."
In his address, Hamunyera vowed to strengthen MeatCo abattoir operations by restoring market access, improving livestock quality, establishing feedlots, installing a solar system, and constructing a hide storage facility.
The governor says the fourteenth priority area will be to provide internet connectivity and IT equipment to all six constituency offices, and when it comes to health, Hambyuka says nurses will be deployed to underutilised mobile clinics at least twice a month.