Sunday, October 24, 2010

18 Karimojong children suspected of cattle rustling released

A primary seven Karimojong school boy will miss sitting for this year’s Primary Leaving Exams (PLE) because of unlawful arrest and detention in police cells.

Michael Longoli 16, a pupil of Kangole boys’ primary school in Napak district was yet to register as a PLE candidate when security men in Karamoja detained him for allegedly being a cattle rustler.

“Longoli and 17 other Karimojong children were arrested by the UPDF from different grazing grounds in Kotido, Napak and Moroto districts” says Mr. Moses Shuubi Lokoroi, the Moroto district senior probation officer.

The children who were kept at Moroto central police station for close to three months got released on Saturday last week after pressure from concerned children bodies like UNICEF and Save the children in Uganda.

The children were arrested by the army in an operation to enforce the recently imposed penal cod act that criminalizes cattle rustling in the region.
UNICEF country representative Mr. Sapra Sharad was in Moroto partly to give pressure for the release of the boys.

“We wanted to make sure that children below the age of 18 are kept out of the prisons. We negotiated with the UPDF and the district local government to see to it that these young boys got released and are taken back to school” said Mr. Sharad.

He revealed that an assembly of different stakeholders and development partners in Karamoja would be held in Kampala this week to forge a common vision for the region.

The meeting organized by the office of the prime minister will be attended by all UN agencies including other lead development partners operating in Karamoja.

Mr. Sharad said “The convention is organized by the first Lady and we hope to make a strong recommendation for a genuine pacification of Karamoja.”

He said one of the key issues that partners are set to table for discussion is the question of the rights of women and children.

Recently some 80 Karimojong street kids who were repatriated from the streets of Kampala to Napak district failed to identify their family people. Most of the children are now being kept by the charity sisters in Moroto Municipality.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

UPDF Soldier lynched by mob justice in Moroto

Suspected local communities in Moroto district on Tuesday waylaid and beat up a UPDF soldier to death by mob justice, police and the army in Karamoja have said.

Moroto District police commander Richard Anyama, said “Private Peter Angolere of Lotome army detach was lynched by an anonymous mob at Lotirir village, Nadunget Sub County on Tuesday night”.

The deceased according to police, was returning from the bank in Moroto Municipality. Police say the late Angolere was reportedly accompanied by another friend suspected to be a resident of Lotirir
village where the incident took place. “The friend is the prime suspect since he is on the run” Mr. Anyama said. No suspects have yet been arrested.

The DPC added that the deceased could have had family wrangles with residents since he is a born of Karamoja.

UPDF 3rd division deputy commander, Col. Joseph Balikudembe condemned the act referring to it as “an ugly incident” and “total criminality”. He said “the soldier was absolutely innocent since he wasn’t armed and
was on civilian clothes”.

This incident brings the number of UPDF soldiers killed by mob justice in Karamoja to four in a period of 5 months according to Capt. Henry Obbo the 3rd division spokesperson.

Obbo said one soldier was murdered last week at Lopei sub-county while returning from Matany hospital in Napak district.

“Other two soldiers were killed similarly in Kaabong district five months ago.” One was buried immediately to destroy evidence but to no avail, suspects were arrested” Obbo added.

Friday, July 30, 2010

NRM polling agents in Moroto lose nuts over poor pay

There was pandemonium in Moroto Municipality on Monday when hundreds of NRM supporters thronged the NRM Office demanding for reasonable allowances for their services at the polling stations during the ongoing NRM party grass root elections.

The polling officials mainly from Rupa sub-county took to the streets in protest of the sh2000 which the NRM office in Moroto allocated to them as payment for the two days exercise at parish level.
“We expected some good motivation, but when we reached the office, we were shocked by the sh2000 the official was giving us” said Mr. John Angela, a presiding officer at Akuakua village in Rupa sub-county.

They said the money could not even cover their transport and lunch expenses, yet they work in very risky villages.
“What annoys most is that we worked in far and risky villages without lunch and transport refund. What we spent from our pockets is even more than the sh2000 they are giving us” said Ms Susan Kolibi, a polling assistant at Pupu parish in Kuamong village, Rupa sub-county.

Ms Kolibi added that “The corrupt NRM leaders are making us lose interest in the party; we are not going to work any more because we are being fooled as if NRM is the only party”

Katikekile sub county LC3 Chairperson Michael Akol said some officials in his own area have detained the documents containing voting results because they lacked transport and were discouraged by the pea nut pay.

“Even the voting documents were not delivered and the polling officials were concerned that they were not given formal appointments and they also needed transport refund and lunch allowances, but when they heard about the sh1000 per day, they abandoned every thing” Mr. Akol said.
A total of 62 polling assistants who ganged at the NRM administrative office in Moroto on Monday morning strongly doubted the pay accusing the NRM leadership in the district of corruption.

However, the district NRM administrative officer Mr. Sylvester Ogwang told this paper that the complaint is countrywide. Ogawang said the sh2000 is what all NRM polling assistants in districts all over Uganda are supposed to receive.
“This is not a local arrangement, but what the NRM secretariat in Kampala budgeted for the officials” Mr. Ogwang said, adding that “it is important for people to know that NRM does not have enough money to pay polling agents”.

In an emotional display Mr. Ogwang tried to intimidate Mr. Olandason Wanyama, a New Vision scribe who was taking photos of the demonstrators.

“You are causing problems for yourself. You don’t know any thing here and you cannot take pictures any how” the NRM administrator said while pushing the journalist amidst noise from the excited crowed who were already displaying FDC and UPC party symbols at the NRM head office in Moroto town.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Army court martial convicts 36 Karimojong cattle rustlers

The UPDF 3rd Division court martial in Moroto district last week convicted and sentenced a total of 36 Karimojong cattle rustlers who were grabbed during the present disarmament program in Karamoja.

The warriors were accused of gun related offences ranging from unlawful possession of firearms, manufacturing of guns, arms trafficking, murder by shooting, and Cattle rustling.

The court, chaired by Lt Col Eugene Ssebugwawo in Moroto barracks resolved that the 36 warriors were guilty of the charges against them and passed a sentence of between two and10 years imprisonment for each of them depending on the offences committed.

UPDF 3rd division spokesperson Capt. Henry Obbo told this paper that among the convicted warriors is one, Bakari Loput, a Karimojong who illegally migrated to Amaguriat in Kenya since 2002 and was involved in commanding Kenyan pokots to steal animals from Uganda.

“On 17th May 2010 his luck ran out when he had come to survey the next area to raid and was sighted by the local people in Kosiroi village in Katikekile sub-county in Moroto.” Capt Obbo said.

He added that the communities alerted the army and he was consequently arrested at a remote village at the Kenya border.

“He then sent for his gun from Kenya, which the UPDF used to charge him for unlawful possession of firearm and was sentenced to 7years in prison”.

Meanwhile another, cross border ammunition trafficker Hasard Makati was sentenced to 3years imprisonment following his arrest on 19th May at Giriki trading center in Amudat while he was transporting 239 Live SMG bullets, wrapped under his clothing.

Another Jie warrior John Lopori from Kotido district was also convicted for possession of a homemade gun locally known as amatida.

Capt Obbo said “Mr. Lopori pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to six years in prison despite the argument by his lawyer Capt Dan Madaba who told the court that his client is an inventor who could in future assist UPDF in the manufacture of bigger guns.”

According to the army, more cases will be heard next week. Most of the remaining cases involve murder by shooting.

“We have 25 cases of murder by shooting, most of which are at advanced stages of handling.” Capt Obbo said.

In a related development the army court martial also convicted and sentenced three UPDF soldiers for failure to protect war equipments.

“Pte Apei Namalia was sentenced to seven years imprisonment and dismissal with disgrace from the armed forces after he pleaded guilty to a charge of failure to protect war material.” Cap Obbo said.

The others are; pte Privates Angayo Oforu and pte Saul Orijab who were both sentenced to six months detention after pleading to the same charge.

Since phase two of disarmament program in Karamoja, the UPDF Court martial has imprisoned a total of 486 Karimojongs for gun related crime.


Thursday, July 22, 2010

Queen Delilah


This is before Soroti, before Mbale and before the city.
All he knew were his father’s fauna.
The number, shades and marks on the animals.
The grazing ground, the kraal and time for milking.
He was well acquainted with life and the people in his nomadic soil.
He was a happy boy, a contented son of a nomad
But all these joy were before the coming of Delilah.


Delilah came from metropolis to dupe Lochan about metropolis.
Of metropolis, Delilah talked about free food without saying-through suppliant,
She talked about good shelter not mentioning that at the veranda.
Delilah pledged a coat of many colors instead of talking about rags,
She promised Lochan city edification which was mere fiction.
Delilah built for Lochan beautiful air castles on his health at metropolis
She is so good at keeping a dubious business secret.


So - Lochan was to become Delilah’s commercial tool.
Lochan, only 5, is woken up at cock-crow with sweet hot coffee for his bare back
He must go and display his misery by the roadside to attract coins from sympathizers
Delilah’s assignment is hard to pass:
The minimum currency this beautiful woman expects a day is 10 dollars!
Poor Lochan is allowed to swallow something only after making extra of the said currency unit.
But he never hits the target.


So - food for Lochan is only kept by KCC garbage group,
But he is assured of delicious coffee for his nude back at dawn and at dusk.
Coffee at dawn is to enable him keep time, evening coffee is to do with failure to deliver 10 dollars.
God, who will reward Queen Delilah?
When will Lochan be called Lakara?
                                            (Robert Owiny, July 2010 - Moroto, Karamoja)

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Cheapest water Dam built in Karamoja


The United States soldiers in conjunction with the UPDF Civil military department, and the United Nations Development programme (UNDP) have completed the construction of the cheapest Water Dam ever in Karamoja for the local community in Moruita sub-county, Nakapiripirit District.

The dam which is 300 by 500 feet in size is built at a record cost of only 48 million shillings compared to other smaller dams that were previously constructed in various parts of Karamoja at inflated costs ranging from sh400 million to sh4 billion.

Moruita Dam was constructed using labour intensive means were communities were hugely employed in the digging and providing the necessary unskilled labour force.
“The community did not only get some money from the dam construction but also own the dam having taken part in its construction” said Capt Henry Obbo, the UPDF 3rd division spokesperson.

Capt. Obbo said the Dam has a capacity of 1,560,000 cubic Liters and can water up to 180,000 animals through the six months droughts that Karamoja region experiences annually.
“The pastoralists can use this dam for a long time of the dry season. By the time the rains begin falling again, there will still be water in the dam,” he said.

“We started this as a pilot project to experiment how we can provide the most required resource, water, without necessarily using too much funds. The American Civil affairs department provided us with all the fuel we required and expertise advice whereas UNDP provided funds for the work” Obbo added.

UNDP coordinator for Karamoja region, Mr. Pamela Metagaro said the scheme is aimed at experimenting how best the Karimojong communities can make good use of the available resources in the region.

While inspecting the accomplished dam over the weekend, Ms Metagaro told district leaders that the involvement of UNDP is in line with the Karamoja Integrated Disarmament and Development program.

She said other projects currently being conducted by UNDP in Karamoja includes; constructing a car washing bay, training communities on bicycle repairs, including animal and crop husbandry.
“These are all aimed at providing alternative livelihood to the disarmed warriors and improving household incomes.” She said
She added that “The same dam will also supply irrigation water for vegetable growing within the vicinity to the local people. It will also serve as a unity/peace dam because it is located at a point that will serve both the Pian and Pokot who have been great rivals”

Unstill Last year, the government had injected up to 11 billion shillings to construct a number of valley dams in Karamoja, but when president Museveni visited the place recently he expressed disappointment with the work done. Most local leaders complained that the real number of dams which were funded had not been built and even the ones in place were dry. The president promised to follow up the money- how it was used.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Besigye tells Karimojongs to protect the 2011 ballot boxes

Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) President Dr Kizza Besigye has appealed to the Karimojong to gang with the opposition parties through the Inter-party coalition (IPC) in order to protect the votes come the 2011 general elections.

The FDC leader was speaking during the FDC party conference held at Regina Mundi catholic parish hall in Moroto district on Friday. Mr. Besigye told party leaders from different parts of the region to keep a strict eye on the ballot box saying it is the only way the dictatorial leadership of president Museveni can be done away with.

“Make sure you protect the votes by keeping a strict watch at the ballot boxes in the coming elections. You should not allow our votes to be stolen like it has happened before” Mr. Besigye said.
On the state of Karamoja, Mr. Besigye said the region has seen no green light for change ever since the colonialists left Uganda.

“Ever since the colonialists left, nothing good has happened in this part of the country because the leadership does not care for the people who live here. And there is no hope unless you vote for change which can come through the IPC” he said.

Besigye was flanked by other top FDC officials like Rt. Gen. Mugisha Muntu the national secretary for mobilization and organization, party spokesman Mr. Wafula Ogutu and Ngora county MP Mr. Francis Epitait among others.

Mr. Muntu said Ugandans should consider president Museveni and the NRM as a political history. He said a lot of money is budgeted for the development of Karamoja but it ends up in the pockets of the NRM leaders.

“President Museveni still thinks he is up, but in actual sense he is down. He is a president physically but ideologically he is dead” Mr. Muntu said.

He added that “the objectives we fought for in the bush are so high for him to follow that is why he has abused all of them. We are going to form the 10th government in this country but the 9th one is no where to be seen.”

Mr. Epitait said the performance of Karamoja MPs in parliament is wanting arguing that they are passive and do not argue out the problems of their people because they are muzzled by the dictatorial NRM top leadership.

“We want you to vote leaders who can help us to talk, people who can help the opposition spell out the problems of the people” Mr. Epatite said.
He added that president Museveni is panicking after realizing that people are tired of the lies he has been telling for over 20 years.

“President Museveni is right to panic because he has exhausted all his lies and he is now revising the old lies which people have already known” he said.