An interesting look at the New 10 Year Karamoja Regional Development Plan. (Part 1)

Introduction

On a sunny October afternoon, at modest and less known office of the National Planning Authority in between the hustle and bustle of ordinary urban life, something historic is happening. An assortment of Members of Parliament from Karamoja, Karimojong elites and intellectuals, LC V Chairmen, Mayors, personnel from various Government Ministries and key Government Planners hold an approval meeting that is aimed at defining the Government of Uganda’s Development Approach. 

The Taxis, bodas and cars zooming on the street below, the pedestrians going about their daily life, even most Karimojong in Kampala and in the region are unaware that a tectonic shift in the nation’s socio-economic and political history is taking place. 

After a year of research, travel to and from the region, countless meetings, workshops and consultations to ensure all stakeholders are on the same page, the time has come for the final validation. In what is billed as a silver bullet that will tackle the beast of poverty, bloodshed and the inter-generational transfer of suffering and marginalization, the members present settled on a 10 Year, 14 trillion Uganda Shilling  (Include USD) plan of action to settle the Karamoja question for good. 

After an opening prayer, remarks, reading the document for the final time, submissions from participants and a closing prayer, the matter is settled, the leaders congratulate themselves, break into clusters for further discussions and catching up with colleagues then bid farewell to one another, head downstairs and enter their 4 wheel drive vehicles, where their drivers and bodyguards waited to take them to their residences or on the long 495km + journey to their home districts. 

Kisenyi Slum: Kampala

At the same time a young Karimojong lady, Nakiru (Not her real name), struggles to search for her daily bread, the slum lord (slum land lord) demands 500 shillings everynight for her to secure a space . The sun’s heat bearing down on her, she walks to the market with her broom and a sack. She is one of the thousands of Karimojongs that  either fled their villages in search of greener pastures or were lured by traffickers and friends to urban areas such as Kampala, Mbale, Jinja, Nakuru, Nairobi and Mombasa where they either work menial jobs or beg for a living on behalf of traffickers and slum lords. 

Navigating the grime and open sewage of the alleyways of Downtown Kampala and skillfully weaving through the sea of pedestrians, Boda Bodas, Taxis, Tuk-Tuks, Wheelbarrow pushers, Trucks and motorists she makes it to the market. Her mission today: sweep beans that have fallen in the market, separate the dust and other particles and fill them into her small sack. She has been doing this for weeks and finally has enough for to fill a 25 kgs sack which she will either send home to her family or use for her sustenance here in Kampala. Nakiru is unaware that in a conference room, a few Kilometers away in Nakasero, the future of her and 1.4 million Karimojong has been decided. 

Undisclosed Village, Karamoja, Uganda

Sagal John Boscoe (not his real name), a reformed warrior (former raider) sits down under an ekitela (shade tree) to recuperate nearby the valley tank. As he to see his childhood sweetheart the woman he wants to marry Betty Ilukol. He knew that there was not much he could offer given his financial and educational limitations but he still loved her. As he sat there he replayed all the events in his life the past few years to try and find the words to say to convince her. 

He heard she was visiting her grandparents before heading to Makerere University. Her father the local LC1 Chairman was a key mobiliser of one of the MP candidates and when the leader came to power in a by-election they gifted his daughter one of the 5 state house funded scholarships each MP in Karamoja is given.

Despite being one of the brightest in the district during his PLE in 2016, Sagal, was not lucky enough to receive a Church/NGO scholarship after P7 or a StateHouse scholarship to University. In 2019, After his father was killed in a raid and all the family livestock taken, he had to abandon all hope of education and become the sole bread winner of his family. He joined a raiding gang and went on several raids inside and outside Karamoja. He came close to death and realized that he was not earning much from raiding as the corrupt syndicate of leaders, traders, informers, security personnel all had to be given a percentage before his gang divided whatever little remained. He wanted to leave but was scared his colleagues may see him as an informer. 

When disarmament heated up in 2022 and he heard rumors that the President is offering Amnesty to raiders still in the bush. He called his Local LC1, who notified the Security, media and Local Leadership who hastily cobbled together a hand over ceremony.

In exchange for his gun he was given a 50kg sack of Posho and promised that he would be the first to receive 16 Goats and 32 Iron Sheets in a new government Project under the Ministry of Karamoja Affairs. He was told the President had set aside 39billion for the Karimojong Warriors.  

A few months later the project was launched with fanfare far away in Moroto Town. Sadly when he was called to pick his resettlement package at his Sub-county Headquarters, he found instead of 16 goats he was given 4 and no iron sheets. To his pain he saw the relatives of local leaders,  signing for whatever few goats they could pick. With pain in his heart and an intense lump in his throat he tied up his 4 goats and begun the gruelling 20 kilometer walk back to his village. 

He tried small scale trading with a bicycle he would hire from his friend, he tried working as a porter in the mining sites deep on the mountain but his earnings were never enough. He would apply for Government and NGO programs but sometimes he would be technically knocked out.

Main thrust

In the coming weeks we are going to analyze the Karamoja Regional Development Plan. Line By Line and activity by activity. To unpack it and understand where exactly the 14 trillion will be spent and what exactly it will mean. We shall use real life examples, historical context as well as bring you quotes from its proponents and opponents through talkshows on radio and social media. Stay tuned to @afliug on twitter for more updates.

(DISCLAIMER THE IMAGES OF PERSONS USED ARE FOR ASTHETIC PURPOSES AND NOT DEPICTING THE ACTUAL INDIVIDUALS)