Part 2: Snapshot Of The Karamoja Regional Development Plan

As promised here we are. In this part we are going to focus on an executive summary of the plan and what it means. For Part 1 please follow this link

https://www.karamojatrumpet.com/post/an-interesting-look-at-the-new-10-year-karamoja-regional-development-plan-part-1

National Planning Authority Strategic Focus:

The Uganda National Planning Authority is an organization of Government Planners. Some of the brightest brains that the government has are tasked with planning for the small resource envelope the government has and ensuring government programs are in line with the strategic focus set by the President through the NRM Manifesto and National Development Plan

Vision: “A Transformed Karamojong Society from a Subsistence Agro- Pastoralist to a Settled Commercially Productive Society”

Goal:   “A      peaceful,       productive,    socially and economically   resilient Karamoja by 2035”

Theme: “Sustainable peace and agro-industrialization for socio-economic transformation of Karamoja”

It is from this that they decided to engage Karimojong leaders, professionals, youth, and communities at a national and subnational level.

Overarching Objective and aspiration of Karamoja’s Youth, Professionals, Leaders, and People:

The Karimojong came with their own hopes and Aspirations

“A prosperous, safe, and economically developed Karamoja that is integrated into and an active contributor to the development of the Republic of Uganda. Whose people break free from the intergenerational cycle of violence, poverty, and subsistence.”

Guiding frameworks of the KRDP:

The KRDP is grounded in the following documents

a)   The Constitution of the Republic of Uganda

b)   Uganda Vision 2040

c)    National Development Plan 3

d)   Presidential Directives and strategic vision on Karamoja

e)   Sustainable Development Goals

f)    NRM Manifesto 2021-2026

g)   Other Regional and International Frameworks Uganda is a party to

10 Year Focus of the Plan: (2023/24 –2034/35)

1.    Establish sustainable peace and security;

i.             Cooperation in peace building and conflict transformation;

ii.            Promote cross border peaceful interaction and co-existence;

iii.          Promote participatory planning, civic education, and social accountability mechanism;

iv.          Strengthen Justice Law and Order System (JLOS)

v.           Strengthen family and Social Systems to aid better Gender relations.

2.    Develop livestock and crop production towards value addition and market-oriented practices;

i.             Increase crop production and productivity, and value chain development, and household consumption;

ii.            Improve livestock production and productivity value chains development;

iii.          Increase access to water for production;

iv.          Improve market access for livestock, crop, and their products;

v.           Improve support for diversified livelihoods.

3.    Ensure sustainable use and management of region’s natural resources;

i.             Restore Forest and range lands;

ii.            Strengthen land administration and management by building Capacity (financial and technical) of land management institutions (District land boards, area land committees, district land offices, zonal land registration centers).

iii.          Secure Karimojong customary land rights and promote land titling by individuals, cooperatives/SACCOs and communal land associations

iv.          Build local capacity for mineral extraction and value addition;

v.           Develop tourism biodiversity enterprises.

4.    Increase the stock and access to appropriate social and economic infrastructure and services;

i.             Develop commodity marketing infrastructure for bulking and market access,

ii.            Establish Karamoja tailormade education, particularly compulsory boarding UPE schools (1 per every 2 sub-counties) and 4 USE schools per district (to close the current gap of 215 Primary UPE schools instead of 470-534 parishes and 28 USE Schools instead of 113 sub-counties)

iii.          Healthcare system for Karamoja (93 HCIIs than 470-534, 46 HCIIIs instead of 113 Sub-counties, 4 HCIVs instead of 17 (15 counties + 2 municipalities), 5 Hospitals and 1 referral;

iv.          Improve access to safe water, sustainable sanitation, and hygiene;

v.           Develop priority roads that open up Karamoja for trade with neighboring communities;

vi.          Develop priority roads for security provision in the region.

5.    Harness positive cultural practices and the traditional systems of the people of Karamoja for National Development;

i.             Develop and market positive cultural practices and cultural sites;

ii.            Promote and preserve positive elements of Karamojong culture;

iii.          Promote social cohesion and social protection.

6.    Undertake research and innovation for Karamoja tailor made solutions.

i.             Establish research, development, and innovation centers;

ii.            Develop infrastructure for commercialization of Karamoja specific innovations.

iii.          Establish Karamoja Policy Forum/ Karamoja Archive/ Data center

Key Proposed Flagship Projects

1)   Bulk Water transfer Project from Lake Kyoga, Lopei (Napak), Meus (Kaabong) to name a few

2)   Karamoja Seed Project in Kaabong and Nabilatuk

3)   Beef canning factory Project in Soroti City

4)   Hides and skins processing plant Project in Kotido;

5)   2 Cement Factories in Nandunget;

6)   Klinker Factory in Kirikirikit-Moroto;

7)   Karenga-Kapedo-Kaabong-Kotido-Moroto Tarmac Road;

8)   Elevate Kaabong Hospital to referral status;

9)   Construct 100 public boarding primary and 44 Secondary schools in strategic locations.

10)Transforming Raiding Corridors into spaces for peace and development through low cost-high impact projects in strategic raiding/transit routes. To promote inter Clan Cohesion Projects, Labor Intensive Public Works (18 police officers per sub-county and 30 LDUs/Community Early Response Units.

11)Developing the Karamoja Organic Honey Economy, Community Owned Bulk Processing Centers specifically among minority communities of Ik, Kadam and Tepeth for international Export.

Proposed Quick Win Projects:

1)  Agricultural Production

i.             Desilt 9 big earth dams in the districts of Abim, Kaabong, Kotido, and Napak,

ii.            Rehabilitate 2 valley tanks per district

iii.          Timely Supply of agricultural inputs and tractors in the region;

2)  Peace and Security

i.             Formulating a comprehensive and inclusive Community mobilization and engagement strategy to promote peace in the region 

ii.            Transforming Raiding Corridors into spaces for peace and development through promotion of inter Clan Cohesion Projects which are low cost and high impact projects through Labor Intensive Public Works (borehole motorization, water reticulation, irrigation, feeder-roads clearance, economic activities etc.) in critical raiding/transit routes to promote settlements coexistence across the conflict divides.

iii.          Strengthen and Maintain Community Early Warning (Erre and Awui intelligence networks) and Early Response Mechanisms through Community Early Response Units augmenting UPDF Deployments).

3)   Education

i.             Transform 9 primary for each district and 4 Secondary schools from the districts of Napak, Kaabong, Kotido and Nakapiripirit into boarding schools with capacity of 3000 pupils per primary schools and 2000 students per secondary schools;

4)  Infrastructure

i.             Upgrading roads to first class marram (i.e., Kotido-Kaabong-Karenga (150kms), Abim-Kotido (69kms), Patongo-Abim (42kms), Napak-Kotido (100kms) 

5)  Land Titling

i.             Support Formation of CLAs and titling of 9,000 CCOs (1,000 per district)

ii.            Supporting Staffing, equipping and operations of District Land Offices and Zonal/Regional Land Registration Centers

6)  Financial Settlement for Karamoja Industrial Business Park (KIBP)

i.             Support Uganda Investment Authority Negotiations with the Communities owning land for KIBP. Out of Court Settlement

ii.            Provide financial settlement to deconflict the KIBP land.

7)  State House Scholarships

i.             Reinstate State House scholarships for 100 students in universities.

Projected Financing Required

Short-, Medium- and Long-term outcomes

Intermediate Outcomes (1-2½ Years)	Outcomes 1-5 Years)	Impact (7 ½ -10 Years)
1.        Improved governance, safety, and economic participation 2.        Increased agricultural production, productivity, and local economic development 3.        Enhanced protection and productivity of the environment and natural resources. 4.        Enhanced accessibility to essential goods and services for the population. 5.        Reduced key forms of inequalities and increased well-being of the population. 6.        Cascade Tailor made researched solutions for Karamoja problems	1.1 Enhanced community safety, security, and adherence to human rights principles 2.1 Increased production, productivity, value addition and market access 3.1 Optimal and inclusive use and management of lands, minerals, and wildlife resources 4.1 Enhanced access to essential services and increased economic opportunities 5.1 Enhanced positive cultural practices for sustainable livelihoods. 6.1 Strengthened research and innovation capacity with tangible outcomes	Improved livelihoods and economic prosperity

NPA proposed precursory reforms:

1)   Create a water budget for Karamoja, specifically to manage run-off, build dams and reservoirs and channel water to its center of seepage

2)   Provide an affirmative action like what was done for women for Karimojong to encourage them to join education institutions in big numbers

3)   Strengthen and make the Ministry of Karamoja Affairs (MoKA) operate from Karamoja, revive, and restructure the Karamoja Development Agency for effective coordination and implementation

4)   Compulsory boarding Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE) with school feeding based on modern school gardening.