'Stop buying posh cars, develop Karamoja'

The non-government organizations operating in Karamoja have been told to stop spending huge amounts of money on posh cars and software and instead develop Karamoja.

The call was made on Monday by the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Moroto Peterken Lochap during the dissemination of research conducted on the status, challenges, and opportunities in the Kobebe dam catchment area. The one-day function was held at the Moroto council hall.

The dam located in the North of Moroto district is the second biggest in Karamoja after Arecek dam in Napak.

Lochap said most development partners have a water component in their budgets but none has come out to construct a dam.

"We cannot continue having partners who just squander funds in their own interests," he noted.

Lochap added that the government of Uganda has been at the forefront of building dams and that is why Karamoja is changing for the better.

"If we had not put in place the likes of Kobebe, Longoromit in Kaabong district and Arecek dams among others, the sub-region would be in chaos," he said.

He urged the development partners to find means of building dams bigger than the existing ones so as to eliminate outmigration in Karamoja.

"Can't we have dams bigger than Arecek in the sub-region?" he wondered.

Lochap also appealed to the development partners to support Karamoja by foregoing the purchase of posh cars and software.

"Get the money from the donors to develop the communities," he noted.

On Kobebe findings, he asked the pastoralists benefiting from the dam to ensure proper utilization of the facility.

"If we do not make use of the dam in a proper way, we shall be at a loss," said Lochap.

He said Kobebe dam has reduced conflicts and impacted on migrations in Karamoja.

The former district chairperson Moroto Mark Aol Musooka asked partners not to be offended.

"This is true and it has ever happened by some NGO's," he said.

Musooka advised Moroto district local government to enact policies that will help save the Kobebe dam.

A senior research fellow Emanuel Muhereza who conducted the study urged Napak, Moroto, and Kaabong to finds means of storing information on the dams saying it's vital for the future.

"We need statistics of animals, the people who utilize the dam," Muhereza said.