MPs want Karamoja programmes, public expenditure audited

“How are we avoiding duplication of activities and monies going to the same area with actually limited impact? Have we ever done a comprehensive evaluation of the monies and programmes that have gone into Karamoja? What have we learnt in order not to make the same mistakes?” Akello wondered.

Chipping in, Pex observed, “Kaabong has 19 sub counties fully operational, but the NRM Government has only constructed one seed school which is functional in the last 40 years. When we are talking about providing access to secondary education, we need to have some special consideration.”

Adding that some Presidential pledges such as Lopei Multi-Purpose dam had been remained paper tigers, many years after they were conceived.

“A study on Lopei dam was done in 1993. I was just in Senior One; to date, 33 years, nothing. Honourable Minister Esther was just in Senior Three. Up to today, there is no dam, but the President is still talking about Lopei Dam, 40 years in Government,” Pex ranted.

Conflicting food relief figures

As for Mapenduzi, there appeared to be a discrepancy in the assessment of food relief efforts in Karamoja.

He noted that the Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees had earlier told the committee that Karamoja had received Sh45 billion in food relief, of which Sh40 billion had been used to procure food, leaving a balance of Sh5 billion. The amount, according to the legislators, was planned to procure seedlings ahead of the planting season.

In his opening remarks, the Karamoja Affairs Minister John Baptist Lokii had stated that the food relief had catered for only 300,000 households, leaving the rest to fend for themselves.

“Can you help us understand what was your involvement in this as the Ministry of Karamoja Affairs? Do we have this balance, and where is the money anyway? We need to know whether you are on the same page.”

In response, Mapenduzi asked, “You provided food which will take these families for a week or two; what is the plan for the other weeks? Because there are no rains and people are dying.” 

To him, it was mockery to keep referring to the same meagre quantities of food, 10 to 20 kilogrammes per family of five, for a period of two weeks.

“I am told they will have to wait up to May (2027). Because they lost the first season, which is the only season. What are you going to do between now and May next year?” he reiterated.

“When you read the stories about Karamoja, there are so many minerals, so much money getting out of Karamoja, and the people of Karamoja are dying. As if the wealth is not from their own land,” Mapidunzi quipped.

Street Kid menace

Some MPs used the session to question the source of the growing number of Karamojong street children in major towns across Uganda, notably Kampala and Mbale.

However, Anyakun said the issue of street children was more complex than it might appear.

She revealed that Government has put in place structures to rehabilitate these kids, including a reception home at Masuulita in Wakiso District, the Koblin Restoration Centre in Napak District, as well as four schools; human traffickers must urgently be brought to book for the vice to suffer a crashing blow.

“The ones you called street aunties (managers of street children) are using this as a business. What they do, they go to Karamoja. I went one time and did an investigative story with NBS.

“I covered myself like a real Somali like this, and I know some small Somali and was telling them I want to buy children and I am taking them to Nairobi. I did that, but nobody knew it was me,” said Anyakun.