Cattle rustlers to benefit from sh19b scheme

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Despite the noticeable increase in a variety of alternative livelihoods by the Government in Karamoja, and the potential to contribute towards a reduction in the conflict and insecurity, there could be a risk of another cycle of insecurity if the matter is not handled sensitively. 

To address the issue the government has secured sh19b towards building resilience in conflict-affected and fragile communities in Karamoja-BRICK.”

Funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Korea’s KOICA programme, BRICK- aims at plugging service delivery gaps on the issue of livelihood and peace in the sub-region that has experienced lawlessness over the years.

It will also focus on building the ordinary, human, and monetary adaptive capacity of the reformed cattle rustlers and those still in the wilderness.

According to Raymond Mukisa, the UNDP programme manager overseeing the 28-month project targets the conflict-affected and fragile sub-counties of selected areas.

“Six sub-counties in three districts Kaabong, Timu – Loyoro and Kotido, Nakapelimoru-Rengen. Others are Nadunget and Rupa sub-counties in the Moroto district. 

“The endemic conflict in Karamoja poses a lot of challenges,” he noted adding that on the ground we have the youths who have denounced violence. Mukisa said.

He added the intervention also ensures the promotion of peaceful co-existence through a functional peace structure for cross-border committees in the sub-region.

‘We also aim at facilitating the increase of incomes for vulnerable households through environmentally friendly livelihoods, ’Mukisa stated.

However, he disclosed that the funding is aligned with the Government-led initiative, the National Development Plan III, a decade-comprehensive development plan for the Karamoja region.

Mukisa urged the benefiting local governments to own the project by mobilizing the community to participate by ensuring there is value for money.

‘We need to see regular monitoring and also provide guidance for the overall implementation of the project,” he said.

RDC speaks

Officiating at the launch of the project held at Mt. Moroto hotel on Wednesday [Dec. 12, 2023], the Resident District Commissioner Moroto George William Wopuwa said most of the activities are aligned with government programmes.

“Most of the activities are bent on skilling,” he noted adding that the scheme lies within government interest.

On cash for work, he said this activity helps families at least earn some money at the end of the day,” Wopuwa stated adding that the government can afford to open up a road in the shortest time possible but the idea of having a a road gang is to the community can have some money.

He cautioned the implementers of the fund to desist from being wasteful adding that seeing insecurity slip into Karamoja could not be a good idea in the future.

Wopuwa further asked the stakeholders to harmonize the activities under the Uganda-Kenya cross-border Memorandum of Understanding – MOU signed by Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and his retired counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta in Sept. 2019.

UPDF speaks

When contacted, Maj. Gen. Don William Nabasa, the 3rd Infantry Division Army Commander said insecurity will never return to Karamoja.

“We are seeing sanity,’ he noted, adding that the army will concentrate on several threats across the sub-region.

Nabasa said in the past decade the locals took the advantage to re-arm themselves but peace has returned.

He, however, said the Government has delivered for them Iron sheets and more are yet to come to beef up alternative livelihoods.

What others said

The chairperson of Moroto Peace Forum, Stephanie Adupa said that a strong focus on livelihoods is a timely intervention.

She says it will enhance the capacity of the rustlers in the region by improving access to markets among others.“I am happy that UNDP and Korea in collaboration with the government have secured the fund for Karamoja,” Adupa noted.

Joshua Okiror, an official with UNDP encourages local governments to always front activities that work for Karamoja.

‘Districts should ensure the community gets what they deserve,” he noted.

Lometo Nyangetom, a reformed raider from Tapac sub-county says many of his friends are still stuck in the wilderness.

‘These people still fear to come out of the bushes,” he stated, asking leaders to make wake-up calls for them to return home.

Simon Peter Nangiro, an elder in Moroto says with a budget shortfall in local governments the fund will plug some social gaps.

“I am grateful to the government for having considered Rupa and Nadunget in uplifting the standards of the youths taken up by violence,” he noted.

Nangiro advised the Karamoja affairs ministry to desist from handling the affairs of the region in a parallel form saying the move does not uplift the people.

Rose Mary Igira, a programme manager at Warrior Squad NGO-says the intervention is timely adding that it is arriving when the region is just recovering from insecurity.

“If well implemented it will change the narrative in Karamoja,” she said, adding that the activities are suitable for those in the arena.