Suspected Karimojong Bandits Target PDM Beneficiaries in Kitgum

Lamwaka revealed that since mid-November, reports have emerged of raiders moving through villages, targeting PDM beneficiaries and demanding the money they received through the government programme.

Suspected armed Karimojong raiders have shifted their focus from livestock theft to targeting beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model (PDM) in Kitgum District, according to Magarate Lamwaka Odwar, the Chua East County Member of Parliament. Lamwaka revealed that since mid-November, reports have emerged of raiders moving through villages, targeting PDM beneficiaries and demanding the money they received through the government programme.

Four cases have been reported from Orom East Sub-county, with victims mainly women who were harassed and threatened. “The suspected Karimojong raiders are moving from village to village, asking PDM beneficiaries to hand over their money,” Lamwaka said. “They’ve been targeting homes, and if they find a woman who’s a beneficiary, they demand cooked peas or beans – not from any other source.”

Lamwaka added that the raiders have compiled lists of PDM beneficiaries, which they use to locate and target victims. “They have lists of the PDM beneficiaries, and they go straight to their homes or waylay them on the way,” she said. The Parish Development Model (PDM) is a government initiative designed to transform subsistence households into income-oriented households.

It provides financial support to vulnerable communities, particularly women and youth, to engage in income-generating activities such as agriculture, livestock keeping, and small businesses. Lamwaka expressed concern that the situation has created fear in the community. “Life has become very difficult and miserable because residents fear that once these people get you, you’ll be disturbed,” she said.

She reported the issue to security authorities and requested increased deployment to prevent the situation from escalating.

However, Jimmy Ssegawa Ebil, the Kitgum Resident District Commissioner, said his office had yet to receive information about the incidents. “The security will investigate before any action is taken,” he said, adding that there are sufficient Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) personnel to handle the situation if confirmed.Ebil noted that livestock raids have drastically reduced in Kitgum District since early 2025, with only a few isolated cases reported.

In 2023, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, then Chief of Defence Forces, deployed commandos to Chua East to combat cattle raids, which led to a reduction in cases.