Dams key to turning around Karamoja—Museveni

KARAMOJA - President Yoweri Museveni says dams for watering cattle are key to addressing the long-standing issues affecting Karamoja region.

According to the President, stabilising the water situation in Karamoja will not only save the livestock farmers from trekking long distances for water, which leads to insecurity and cattle rustling but also boost commercial agriculture, which is the only game changer in transforming the region.

“I propose that in what you call the Karamoja strategic plan, a lot of emphasis be paid on dams, two per sub-county. Then we can add on peace, which is already there, mindset change, health, education, roads, and electricity. My plan for 1986, when I started the Karamoja Development Agency (KDA), and I put $6m I got from the European Union, I was telling them to concentrate on water and dams, but they went to do other things and they lost focus,” Museveni says.

President Yoweri Museveni says dams for watering cattle are key to addressing the long-standing issues affecting Karamoja region. (Credit: PPU)

The President made the remarks on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, in Moroto district while addressing Karamoja leaders. The meeting was part of President Museveni’s three-day wealth creation and Parish Development Model (PDM) performance assessment tour in the region. The tour commenced on Tuesday this week.

Affirmative action 

In 1987, a parliamentary vote established the Karamoja Development Agency to carry out affirmative action for the Karamoja area in sectors such as health, education, and agriculture.

The Ministry for Karamoja Affairs, which oversees the co-ordination of all government initiatives in the area, eventually took its place, nonetheless.

President Museveni told leaders that the formation of the KDA was informed by his experience in north Ankole and parts of western Buganda, which don’t have spring water like other parts of Uganda, yet they need it for production.

“But the chiefs in the 1950s developed some communal dams, including Kiruhura, where I come from. Even in Rwakitura, where I got land in 1967, it was because it was near a communal dam. I had to sell another land that was five miles away from a communal dam to buy the one I have, which is near a communal dam. In 1966, I had to walk my cows five miles to the water source and five miles to walk back. This is not correct. That’s why I bought land near a communal dam. Now I have developed three dams within my land. Karamoja needs peace and water first,” the President stressed.
Leaders list challenges

The meeting consisted of leaders from the region's 10 districts: Abim, Amudat, Nakapiripirit, Kotido, Nabilatuk, Karenga, Napak, Kaabong, Kotido, and Moroto.

In their memorandum, the leaders listed several challenges that are hindering development, including high poverty levels, high illiteracy levels, inadequate water and poor road networks.

President Museveni told leaders that the formation of the KDA was informed by his experience in north Ankole and parts of western Buganda, which don’t have spring water like other parts of Uganda, yet they need it for production.

“We shall explore this long list of things to do, but I think now we are moving very well; we are for peace in the whole of Karamoja, and I’m glad that people can now manoeuvre with their livestock to the nearby water sources, but as one pointed out, that was for small numbers of livestock. For the big numbers, we need a large-scale program of dams. And this is what I'm going to integrate into the national plan,” President Museveni said, adding that he insisted on agriculture because it employs a lot of people, and everybody can participate at different levels of production.

Agriculture should  core

The President informed leaders that, whereas the region has a lot of tourism potential through Kidepo National Park, agriculture should be at the core of supporting the development of tourism.

“When the tourists come, what food would they eat? If they are not getting meat from Rwakitura and eating fruits from Teso or eating fish from Rwampara, how would tourism help the local economy? That’s why I want them to drink the milk of the Karamojong if they are here and the beef, the mutton, the sausages. That is how agriculture becomes the base and feeds into other sectors,” H.E. Museveni explained.

“Even these factories that are here, like the cement and marble factories, the workers there, which food will they buy? So, let us consolidate agriculture, but we are not forgetting the other sectors. To consolidate agriculture, I think the most important thing is water. The other big issue was peace, and I am grateful that you are now cooperating to promote peace, and we shall not allow chaos to come back,” the President further added.

The two dams per sub-county will be an addition to the already existing financial support the Government sends to districts for water production. This includes Abim shillings 557 million, Amudat shillings 667 million, Kaabong shillings 558 million, Karenga shillings 306 million, Kotido shillings 684 million, Moroto shillings 465 million, Nabilatuk shillings 721 million, Nakapiripirit shillings 625 million, and Napak shillings 634 million, totaling toshillings five billion, and according to President Museveni, in the last four years the whole of Karamoja has got shillings 24 billion for water.

“Since we want to transform Karamoja, I want you to agree with me, and we handle the matters the guerilla way, the way we fought,” the President said, adding that the Government has already worked on the major roads in the region and extended electricity to major towns in order to encourage industrialization and also revealed plans to construct a major airport in Karenga near Kidepo National Park.

President Museveni also promised to sponsor the science students from Karamoja in higher institutions of learning.

He informed leaders that for a long time, Africans had been doing agriculture but doing traditional agriculture which limits productivity.

“This time we said no, you must do commercial agriculture for food security and to earn money from other crops, livestock, and Fisheries. And we introduced the four sectors, which include commercial agriculture, industry and manufacturing, services, and ICT,” he said.