Karamoja region gets 125 million shillings for capacity building

Karamoja sub-region has received equipments worth 125 million shillings from the European Union to strengthen development planning and monitoring interventions under the Peace Recovery and Development Plan in the region.

The five districts of Abim, Kotido, Moroto, Kaabong and Nakapiripirit each received computers, printers, power backup systems, assorted GRS softwares to be used in the planning departments to collect and analyse data showing development needs in the districts.

While handing over the gadgets to district administrators from the five districts of Karamoja at Mount Moroto Hotel in Moroto District on Friday, the northern Uganda data center manager Mr. Ali Mohammed Karatunga said Karamoja being the least developed region in Uganda requires enough data equipments to enable proper development planning.

“There is need for evidence-based planning if a backward region like Karamoja is to attain reasonable development” Karatunga told sector heads. Mr. Karatunga said the region was initially difficult to access because of limited data equipments and technocrats to identify development gaps.

Sector heads from the five districts were also trained on information management using Geographical Information Systems aimed at guiding districts on proper service delivery where maps are used to show development gaps.

The training covered the departments of planning, water, health, works and education from the five districts.

Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, Kaabong district chief administrative officer Francis Oluka thanked the Northern Uganda Rehabilitation program under the office of the prime minister for facilitating the region.

Oluka admitted that initially Karamoja lacked data based planning equipments and that most development interventions in the region were paper-based. He added that the new data machines would also help on issues of accountability.
“Physical accountability and not paper accountability is crucial in evaluating development attained” he said.

Moroto district speaker Mr. Joseph Lomonya who was the guest of honor appealed to sector heads to make good use of the facilities to fix development gaps in the region. Mr. Lomonya also advised leaders on security issues in Karamoja. He said without peace and security, development plans for Karamoja is in vein.

“We need peace to attain reasonable development in the region. Without peace all these good plans will go down the earth” Lomonya told participants.

Museveni Threatens to shake up the UPDF in Karamoja

Soldiers are not Priests
Saturday 15th May 2010
President Yoweri Museveni has blamed the prevailing act of cattle theft in Karamoja on the UPDF. Addressing a rally at Pokot Senior Secondary school in newly created Amudat district last week, Museveni said unlike the priests, soldiers should not preach, but fight for peace. The president promised to command the attack on cattle raiders by himself if those in charge have failed.

"Am now going to deal with them, if these soldiers here have failed, I will get those who can do the work or I will come and do it myself then you will know what the army means." Museveni hungrily said.
The president blamed the army for being lazy and cowards over the handling of the disarmament programme in Karamoja.

"This is laziness by the army. The army should get more serious. Very very serious because am going to shake them up. You can not punish people because the Pokot have passed near their kraals and stolen cows. There is no way they can raid, especially if the army is armed."

Museveni said government would compensate those who lost their animals to the raiders.
He was reacting to reports that cattle rustlers including the Pokot from neighbouring Kenya have been staging raids in Karamoja, killing innocent civilians and destroying property.Museveni said those who are still having illegal guns in pokot should surrender them immediately or a forceful means will apply.

"Those remaining with guns should bring them or hand them over to the Kenyan government if they are in Kenya. I have been talking to president Kibaki about this. They should not disturb Uganda “the 65 year old president said.

Communities complained to the president that those who willingly surrender their guns become victims as their cattle are raided off easily and some lose lives in the process. They also alleged that the army punishes them when they report incidences of raids.

Museveni who is on a prosperity for all gospel in the Karamoja sub-region told the Karimojong that poverty in the region can only go to the dogs after the achievement of total peace in the area. He said Karamoja has a lot of wealth but insecurity can not allow easy exploitation, a thing that has made Karamoja lag behind.