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.