Livelihood of the Sabiny threatened
Dec 13, 2009
EDITOR - Whenever there is a news headline about Kapchorwa or Bukwa district, it is usually for the wrong reasons. Female genital mutilation, ethnic marginalisation, environment degradation, eviction from ancestral dwellings, murders, traffic fatalities,
EDITOR - Whenever there is a news headline about Kapchorwa or Bukwa district, it is usually for the wrong reasons.
Female genital mutilation, ethnic marginalisation, environment degradation, eviction from ancestral dwellings, murders, traffic fatalities, corruption, local political rivalries, food shortage, housing shortage, poverty and disease!
All those problems are signs of backwardness and are preventable but are always associated with the districts!
On the contrary however, this part of Uganda has made significant development, albeit modestly, compared to the rest of the country in the last two decades. This is primarily due to the relative peace the districts have enjoyed owing to the current Ugandan leadership.
Secondly, Ugandans who call these districts home and who share the notion that there is no place like home, have returned after studying or working elsewhere within Uganda or neighbouring countries to help manage and improve the welfare of their people as they understand it better.
The majority inhabitants of Kapchorwa and Bukwa are ethnically referred to as the Sabiny. Although there are a variety of sub- groups among the Sabiny, they share many values. Lori Benintendi, a researcher, once described the Sabiny as people with lives that are fairly simple and are centred around cattle-keeping, simple crop growing, and beer. This description is probably the most accurate one for these peace-loving Ugandans among the mist of Mt Elgon.
This lifestyle however appears only in history books as the livelihood of the Sabiny is being threatened by external forces associated with conservation with little or no regard to the the people. In general, some schools of thought suggest that the Sabiny’s simple modes of production have limited the need for sophisticated legal processes, and their paranoia and fear of sorcery have promoted adherence to traditional customs.
Is this why Ugandans in this part of the country have almost been squeezed out of existence? There is no doubt that the establishment of Mt Elgon National Park was a move in the right direction, based on popular scientific trends internationally.
However, the way former residents (indigenous or not) of the now conservation area were, and continue to be treated as second class citizens, their human rights continue to be grossly violated by park authorities.
Without proper redress of the plight of these people by national and international authorities by resettlement or compensation, conservation and development will take the back seat and protection of the threatened lifestyle will prevail.
Saul Chemonges
Kapchorwa
Female genital mutilation, ethnic marginalisation, environment degradation, eviction from ancestral dwellings, murders, traffic fatalities, corruption, local political rivalries, food shortage, housing shortage, poverty and disease!
All those problems are signs of backwardness and are preventable but are always associated with the districts!
On the contrary however, this part of Uganda has made significant development, albeit modestly, compared to the rest of the country in the last two decades. This is primarily due to the relative peace the districts have enjoyed owing to the current Ugandan leadership.
Secondly, Ugandans who call these districts home and who share the notion that there is no place like home, have returned after studying or working elsewhere within Uganda or neighbouring countries to help manage and improve the welfare of their people as they understand it better.
The majority inhabitants of Kapchorwa and Bukwa are ethnically referred to as the Sabiny. Although there are a variety of sub- groups among the Sabiny, they share many values. Lori Benintendi, a researcher, once described the Sabiny as people with lives that are fairly simple and are centred around cattle-keeping, simple crop growing, and beer. This description is probably the most accurate one for these peace-loving Ugandans among the mist of Mt Elgon.
This lifestyle however appears only in history books as the livelihood of the Sabiny is being threatened by external forces associated with conservation with little or no regard to the the people. In general, some schools of thought suggest that the Sabiny’s simple modes of production have limited the need for sophisticated legal processes, and their paranoia and fear of sorcery have promoted adherence to traditional customs.
Is this why Ugandans in this part of the country have almost been squeezed out of existence? There is no doubt that the establishment of Mt Elgon National Park was a move in the right direction, based on popular scientific trends internationally.
However, the way former residents (indigenous or not) of the now conservation area were, and continue to be treated as second class citizens, their human rights continue to be grossly violated by park authorities.
Without proper redress of the plight of these people by national and international authorities by resettlement or compensation, conservation and development will take the back seat and protection of the threatened lifestyle will prevail.
Saul Chemonges
Kapchorwa