Karamoja has amarula tree
KARAMOJA region is endowed with the amarula tree whose fruit is used in the manufacture of the popular Amarula liquor, a scientist has discovered.
By Nathan Etengu
KARAMOJA region is endowed with the amarula tree whose fruit is used in the manufacture of the popular Amarula liquor, a scientist has discovered.
Ben Chikamai from the Food and Agricultural organisation (FAO) coordinating network for gums and resins found recently that the tree grew wild in karamoja.
The chief executive officer of the Kara-moja private sector development centre, Jimmy Lomakol, said Chikamai could not believe his eyes when he saw huge amarula trees in different parts of Karamoja.
“He told me that Karamoja was sitting on a goldmine and that the region has a rare species of the amarula trees that grow to towering heights, well above those found in South Africa,†Lomakol said.
He said the amarula tree was locally known in Karamoja as ‘ekajikai’ while in Teso it is called ‘ejikai’.
He said Chekamai had been contracted to study the viability of gum Arabic, another tree species whose sap is used in the manufacture of soft drinks.
“I had grown knowing the tree and only used to enjoy eating its fruit, unaware that it was a raw material for such a popular drink,†Lomakol said.
He said samples of the tree had grown wild at Nakapiripirit district headquarters and that many more were lined up along the Nakapiripirit-Moroto and the Moroto-Iriiri-Katakwi roads.
“In the wilderness they just grow like any other ordinary tree. The fruits are eaten while goats enjoy eating the leaves,†Lomakol said.
Chekamai met President Yoweri Museveni at Soroti State Lodge on September 22, where they discussed the possibility of establishing an Alloe Vera boiling plant in Karamoja.
Museveni talked about his meeting with Chekamai and Timothy Lolem when he met the district leaders from Karamoja at Morulinga State Lodge in Moroto.
“We are working on gum Arabica. A team is here. We are supporting it. We have agreed to set up a factory,†Museveni told leaders from the districts of Nakapiripirit, Moroto, Kotido, Abim and Kaabong.
He said Lolem, a former secretary for defence in the Idi  Amin regime, had formed a cooperative society to harvest and process tamarind fruit juice.
Lomakol, whose organisation worked closely with FAO in identifying the locations of the gum Arabica and aloe secudiflora, said they had embarked on the fast tracking for the exploration and exploitation of the high value natural plants in the sun-region.
He said a team from the regional centre for mapping of resources for development in Africa had also started the satellite mapping of gum Arabica in Karamoja. He said the exercise was aimed at establishing the quantity, quality and locations of gum Arabica.
“The quantity in Karamoja is already enough to start production,†Lomakol said.
He said the Kenya government had licensed two factories for Allow secudiflora, a sisal-like plant whose sap is used to make medicine.
KARAMOJA region is endowed with the amarula tree whose fruit is used in the manufacture of the popular Amarula liquor, a scientist has discovered.
Ben Chikamai from the Food and Agricultural organisation (FAO) coordinating network for gums and resins found recently that the tree grew wild in karamoja.
The chief executive officer of the Kara-moja private sector development centre, Jimmy Lomakol, said Chikamai could not believe his eyes when he saw huge amarula trees in different parts of Karamoja.
“He told me that Karamoja was sitting on a goldmine and that the region has a rare species of the amarula trees that grow to towering heights, well above those found in South Africa,†Lomakol said.
He said the amarula tree was locally known in Karamoja as ‘ekajikai’ while in Teso it is called ‘ejikai’.
He said Chekamai had been contracted to study the viability of gum Arabic, another tree species whose sap is used in the manufacture of soft drinks.
“I had grown knowing the tree and only used to enjoy eating its fruit, unaware that it was a raw material for such a popular drink,†Lomakol said.
He said samples of the tree had grown wild at Nakapiripirit district headquarters and that many more were lined up along the Nakapiripirit-Moroto and the Moroto-Iriiri-Katakwi roads.
“In the wilderness they just grow like any other ordinary tree. The fruits are eaten while goats enjoy eating the leaves,†Lomakol said.
Chekamai met President Yoweri Museveni at Soroti State Lodge on September 22, where they discussed the possibility of establishing an Alloe Vera boiling plant in Karamoja.
Museveni talked about his meeting with Chekamai and Timothy Lolem when he met the district leaders from Karamoja at Morulinga State Lodge in Moroto.
“We are working on gum Arabica. A team is here. We are supporting it. We have agreed to set up a factory,†Museveni told leaders from the districts of Nakapiripirit, Moroto, Kotido, Abim and Kaabong.
He said Lolem, a former secretary for defence in the Idi  Amin regime, had formed a cooperative society to harvest and process tamarind fruit juice.
Lomakol, whose organisation worked closely with FAO in identifying the locations of the gum Arabica and aloe secudiflora, said they had embarked on the fast tracking for the exploration and exploitation of the high value natural plants in the sun-region.
He said a team from the regional centre for mapping of resources for development in Africa had also started the satellite mapping of gum Arabica in Karamoja. He said the exercise was aimed at establishing the quantity, quality and locations of gum Arabica.
“The quantity in Karamoja is already enough to start production,†Lomakol said.
He said the Kenya government had licensed two factories for Allow secudiflora, a sisal-like plant whose sap is used to make medicine.