Karamoja, iron sheets and the 2026 elections

COMMENT | Samson Tinka | I first visited Karamoja in 2000 just before the elections the following year. After Soroti town, we hit the 148 kms murram and potholed road for a journey of nearly 18 hours. What I saw on the way stunned me.

In almost every trading centre, I saw young children, teenagers, women, youth and even old men carrying different types of guns along the road and in markets. I wondered how people in civilian clothes would carry guns including LMGs-Light machine guns.

As soon as we arrived in Moroto, we were instructed to always move in numbers  and to avoid getting near a borehole. At the borehole, we indeed found a mini detach. It was shocking and frightening becasue where I grew up, a gun was either with a uniformed police officer, LDU, military person or prisons officer.

In December 2001, President Museveni travelled to the Morulinga area of Karamoja’s Moroto District, where he spearheaded the voluntary disarmament exercise. He gave a deadline of 15 February 2002, after which, he said, those found in possession of illegal firearms would be arrested. Over 50,000 guns have since been recovered either willingly or through forced disarmament.

With guns reduced, Karamoja sub region gained some semblance of peace, agriculture picked up, school going children numbers went up, banks, NGOs, factories and tourism facilities tripled. The notion of ‘Uganda will not wait for Karamoja to develop’ was erased.

In 2018, I again went to Moroto, Kotido and Kabongo through Nakapiripiti and on my way back I came through Katakwi and Soroti. What I saw was the complete opposite of 2001.  I thought I was in another region.

I did not see any gun; I saw a new Tarmac road, permanent houses, electricity poles, good hotels, expanded roadside markets, well-built schools, a number of health centers with mothers lining up for either vaccination, antenatal services or medical attention. I saw an orderly fast growing sub-region.

In 2019, over 13,000 tourists visited Kidepo national park. This is a positive sign in terms of peace and security in Karamoja sub-region. Kidepo park gives you the ultimate feel of wild life in Uganda. The Moroto terrain is beautiful – the plain lands, protruding Mt Moroto and the grassland vegetation.

1- You know, once upon time,the Karimajong were a proud and wealthy pple👇. I usually hear some pple say,what's wrong with these Karamojong? Nothing is wrong with the Karimojong. Instead, Karimojong are one clear illustration of the lasting legacies of Colonization&how the pic.twitter.com/BScn4deSoX

— D SEJUSA, LLM.,DM. (@sejudav) February 27, 2023

Ideally, Karamoja region should be another game changer in Uganda’s journey to middle income. It’s no longer a rumor that it has huge deposits of precious minerals including gold, phosphates among others. It would be the desire and deliberate efforts of  politicians and civil servant in Karamoja sub region to deploy every resource to make it more peaceful and safe. Investors are now eyeing Karamoja, with the only threat being cattle rustling.

Origins of the iron sheets scandal

As one of the ways of dealing with cattle rustling, the government initiated an affirmative action program of giving iron sheets to youth and other people. The feeling was buildingof permanent houses would somehow slow down nomadism and encourage other forms of farming especially crop growing. Government mobilized resources including seeking supplementary budget to buy iron sheet for this program.

The current findings – of misuse of the iron sheets – are hard to stomach. In one case, there is even a report of a minister using iron sheets for vulnerable people to construct a cows shelter at his farm.  Looks like the ministers entrusted to run this government are again working tirelessly to bring it down.  An investigation into the matter is what the country deserves. The President I know must be miles ahead in this investigation. It’s common for President Museveni to deploy both formal and informal investigations teams and compare notes. In most cases, the informal teams work ahead.

The  2026 elections

Its three years to the polling date. If this issue is not firmly settled it may have impact on, the overall voting patterns come 2026.

Karamoja sub-region, covers an area of 27,528km and comprises Kotido District, Kaabong District, Karenga District, Nabilatuk District Abim District, Moroto District, Napak District, Amudat District and Nakapiripirit District. The region is estimated to have a population of 1.4 million in 2022 by UBOS. There are 291 district councils across Karamoja and 21 MPs. These are big numbers to be neglected.

The president should this time throw a punch on those that put their hands on iron sheets. This political question must be solved with an iron hand otherwise, it may dictate the proceedings of elections performance for the incumbent come 2026.

This case if well-handled can be the turning point in Uganda’s journey to deal with corruption.  If government fails to deal with them, the elections of 2026 will sort them.

Karamojas total pacification will steer development not only for the sub-region but for Uganda as a whole.