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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

Cholera hits Kotido Mixed primary school.

Five primary school pupils of Kotido mixed school in Kotido district were on Wednesday diagnosed with cholera and admitted at Kanawat Health center according to the school head teacher Ms Margaret Lamwaka.

“About 15 pupils did not leave their beds on Wednesday morning and as teachers on duty were checking the dormitories, they found that four boys and one girl were totally weak. The district health officer Dr. Phillip Olinga then intervened and the pupils were rushed to Kanawat health center from where tests confirmed the cholera germs.” Ms Lamwaka explained.

The head teacher said the school has been partially closed following advice from the health team.

“The health team has already disinfected the 507 pupils who stay in the boarding section meanwhile the day’s session has been closed for now to enable easy control of the condition” Ms Lamwaka said.

Dr. Phillip Olinga the CUAM Kotido district technical officer said the situation is under control but advised that teachers and parents should control the movements of children in the school to avoid more spread.

“What is important for now is to let the day pupils stay back at home with parents keeping the watch so that the boarding section can be monitored by the health team” he said.

On the likely cause of the outbreak, Mr. Olinga said “it is a possible hygiene problem because the cholera germ thrives mainly in dirty environment”

He added that Kotido had achieved certain level of health facility with most NGOs running sanitation projects in the district. He said the pit latrine coverage in the district had gone up from o.5% to2.7% with all schools having pit latrines.

Museveni directs tourism ministry to give Katurum Lodge to Karamoja businessman

President Yoweri Museveni has directed the Ministry of Trade and Tourism to hand over the dilapidated Katurum Lodge in Kidepo National Game Park to Karamoja businessman Mr. Cornelius Lorika Kodet.

In a letter written on 14th May to Mr. Kainda Otafire the minister in charge, the president’s principle private secretary Mrs. Amelia Kyambadde noted:

“During his Excellency the president’s meeting with Mzee Kodet Cornelius Lorika on 18th April 2010 at state House Entebbe, Mzee Kodet requested for permission to renovate and take possession of Katurum Lodge. Accordingly HE accepted and directed that Mr. Kodet be allowed to take possession and renovate the lodge.”

Katurum lodge located in Kidepo National Nark found in northern Karamoja was constructed 31 years ago during Amin’s government to accommodate tourists that would pay a visit to the park. The lodge is also one of the Uganda Wild life Authority (UWA) properties which were recently advertised via international tender of joint ventures.

Other accommodation facilities and sites which were advertised by UWA include; the destroyed Grand Katurum Lodge in Kidepo Valley National Park, two sites in Lake Mburo National Park, Rwonyo, and Kigarama, a site in Semliki National Park near the hot springs

.

Others are facilities in both the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National park and the central park area including new developments in the Murchison falls and Queen Elizabeth national park.

Mr. Cornelius Lorika Kodet is the proprietor of, Aero beach in Entebbe, Mount Moroto hotel in Moroto, Apule Safari Lodge in Mbale and he is one of the senior directors of African Power Initiative (API), a local company currently running Jotropha plantation in Nakapiripirit district.

A friend to King Solomon Gafabusa Iguru of Bunyoro Mr. Kodet also plans to start commercial ranching and agro forestry in Kiryandongo in Masindi district.

“I am finalising with the business plans for Bunyoro. I hope to start off as soon as possible, it should kick off before the end of the year, “he says.

A truck of crude alcohol netted in Karamoja

Police in Moroto on Saturday detained seven businessmen including a driver of a Fuso truck registration number UAN 524L loaded with about 200 Jeri cans of crude alcohol being illegally transported from Jinja to Moroto town.

According to ASP Richard Anyama of Moroto Central police station, the dealers were netted at Iriir sub-county in Moroto district.

Mr. Anyama identified the suspected traders as Bakaliz Nsamba, Munyobi Lokiru, John Buesi, Paul Logit, Maruka Achum, Amanya Lorika, and Muru Locham all residents of Kangole parish Bokora County.

“Police learnt that the suspects were selling the enguli during night hours to retailers at different trading centers as they headed towards the Municipality” said Mr. Anyama.

Mr. Anyama said the suspects will be produced in court on Monday and could face up to one year imprisonment if found guilty according to the 1964 Enguli act which prohibits dealing in unlicensed alcoholic drinks in Uganda.

Karamoja regional police spokesperson Mr. George Obia said a by-law prohibiting the sale of enguli in Karamoja was set last year apart from the national law against the practice of transporting or dealing in crude and unlicensed alcoholic drinks.

“A law in the region was passed last year to ban the sale of crude alcohol. Already six people have been convicted and are serving the sentence at Kotido prisons” he said.
Mr. Obia however noted that the one year sentence and cash fine is a lighter punishment that most dealers don’t take as serious.

“The problem is that the punishment is quite light. The culprits are in most cases either cautioned or fined - this penalty is not punitive enough” Mr. Obia said on Saturday.

This is not the first case of illegal transportation of crude alcohol into Karamoja. Early last month, Mr. Sam Adam Okello an LC3 chairperson of Morulem Sub County in Abim district was detained over shooting Mr. Zackary Muya a police officer who was guarding a truck loaded with several containers of crude enguli being imported from Lira district for sale in Karamoja. The vehicle belonged to Mr. Okello

According to police, heavy consumption of crude waraji especially in the districts of Abim and Kotido has led to high crime rates inform of domestic violence and child negligence.

30 Karimojongs trained as animal health workers

A total of 30 Karimojong men and women who completed a two weeks training as community animal health workers were on Friday passed out in Moroto district.

The training was conducted by the US veterinary soldiers in conjunction with the Makerere University Faculty of Veterinary medicine and the UPDF under the Ministry of defence.

Moroto district veterinary officer Dr. Walter Orongo said the trainees were randomly picked from Matheniko and Bokora counties in Moroto district by a team of district health officials, the UPDF and the US army.

Mr. Orongo said the training which will spread to all districts of Karamoja is aimed at equipping the pastoralists with basic knowledge on animal health so as to increase production and value.

“This training involves teaching the team how to inject animals, how to measure animal weight, hoof cutting and how to identify disease infections” he said.

The pastoralist were also given veterinary kits like syringes, gumboots, hoof cutters, weight measuring devices and animal drugs for various infections.

Mr. Orongo identified common animal diseases among Karimojong pastoralists as tick-bone diseases, warm infections, and animal pneumonia among others.

“Foot rot in goats and sheep is also common in the region especially during rainy season. Anthrax which spreads to humans is also experienced during raids among the Karimojong communities” Mr. Orongo explained.

UPDF Civil military coordinator for Karamoja Maj. Twerikeire Kamulali said the training is also meant to strengthen the relationship between the civilian population in the region and the army under the joint civil military cooperation. Mr. Kamulali also said the training will commit the pastoralists to cattle keeping and discourage cattle rustling.

“The purpose of this training is cooperation and development. It is a paradigm shift from cattle rustling to cattle keeping” he said.
He added that the life of a Karimojong is incomplete without a cow, saying the pastoralists can only develop with the presence of a healthy cow, and that a healthy cow needs to stay in a peaceful environment.

“You are not only heath workers, but peace builders. The Americans are here because Africa’s problem is an American problem, the UPDF is here because the problem of Karamoja is a Ugandan problem and the problem of the Matheniko also remains that of the Bokora” he told graduates.

The US army team leader in Karamoja Capt. Nathan Heller who presided over the function said “Our mission is to assess the UPDF and other civil organizations in this region, and to assist them with various projects relevant to this community in form of joint civil military training to enable peace and stability in Karamoja.”

Mr. Heller said the US veterinary team had treated up to 5000 herds of cattle in the region and accomplished security fencing at Kotido SS.

Sh120 billion for Karamoja schools

The Irish government has pledged up to shs.120 billion to rehabilitate schools in the Karamoja sub-region.

Speaking at the commissioning of the Irish funded classroom block in Moroto High school in Moroto district on Tuesday, Irish foreign affairs Michael Martin said the fund which will be released in a period of five years is part of the continuous support of the government of Ireland to Karamoja, a region with the highest rate of illiteracy in Uganda.

“The government of Ireland is committed to supporting education in Karamoja so that children can attain better knowledge necessary for development” he said.
Martin added that the only way to improve conditions of lives of people in a region like Karamoja was by strengthening learning institutions.

He said the fund will be used to renovate and create new structures in Karamoja schools. He also disclosed that more grants would be availed to Karimojong children who excel in education for scholarships so that they can catch up with other regions.

Irish ambassador to Uganda Kevin Kelly said the partnership between Uganda and Ireland in the areas of education was a great privilege. He said parents should help partners in the struggle by sending their children to school.

“I advise the parents in Karamoja to support our government by sending their children to school. It will be a waste of time and resources for a structure to be built without students” he said.

Education Minister Geraldine Bitamazire who accompanied the duo expressed gratitude towards their continued support.

“A lot has come from Ireland to support education in this country. We are even grateful that they are continuing with the generous support” she said.
Bitamazire urged students and teachers in the region to take education as priority number one, cautioning them against unnecessary strikes saying it is a ‘poison’ to education.

“The structures constructed should be guarded carefully. Burning school buildings through strikes retards development” Bitamazire said.

She revealed that a total of 13 selected schools and institutions in Karamoja have already benefited from the support through rehabilitation and expansion programmes.

Moroto High school head teacher Mr. Peter Luzige thanked government for linking the donors to Karamoja schools.