How Mama Janet, John Byabagambi and Moses Kizige tied their hands off Karamoja items

The tears of the Karimojong people are always dangerous, especially when you disappoint them and they start crying while calling the names of those who have deprived them.

During the time of the First Lady, Janet Museveni, as Minister for Karamoja Affairs, as a mother of Ugandans, she did everything she could to ensure that Karamoja got access to government programs.

In her tenure as minister, tired of seeing cattle rustling, through consultation with various stakeholders, the First Lady initiated electronic cattle branding with the aim of getting rid of cattle rustling in Karamoja.

In the process, an animal is given electronic boluses to swallow, with all the details of the owner, village, parish, and district, and once the animal is stolen or raided and recovered from another district, it will be detected using a computer stick.

This exercise saved thousands of Karimojong livestock since the raiders lost interest in raiding, fearing to be tracked and arrested.

After introducing that exercise and the region became peaceful, the First Lady again initiated another program of livestock restocking, whereby all the families that lost their livestock received a set of two bulls, an ox plough for ploughing, and two heifers for milk.

The First Lady later realized that Karamoja needed lasting dams for water, and she started engaging the Ministry of Water, and the construction of four big dams started.

The first dam is called Arecek Dam, located in Napak; the second dam is called Kobebe, located in Moroto; the third dam is called Lobalangit, located in Kaabong; and one called Kaicom in Amudat District.

All these projects were implemented with strict adherence against corruption, and indeed the First Lady did not want anything meant for Karamoja to be diverted, and all these are in place.

She also introduced the construction of dormitories in all primary schools and selected secondary schools in Karamoja through joint support from Irish Aid and the Government of Uganda. By the time the First Lady was transferred, she left everything intact, and she never diverted anything meant for Karamoja to any other region.

Mr. John Byabagambi took over from Mama Janet, and he also ensured that in his time nothing meant for Karamoja would get out of Karamoja.

His tenure also saw the distribution of white Gala goats in Karamoja. He also ensured that in his time, through Dryland Integrated Development, an organization funded by the Office of the Prime Minister, health centres were built across the region, and ambulances were procured for selected sub-counties.

Through Minister Byabagambi, many Karimojong students benefited from the Dryland program, especially in scholarships such as nursing training, mechanics, agriculture, and carpentry. Mr. Byabagambi also did this with all his wholesome heart; nothing was diverted to any district.

His deputy minister, Moses Kizige, too worked in a transparent way in Karamoja.

Mr. Kizige, as the State Minister for Karamoja, never diverted anything meant for Karamoja. In fact, during his time, he kept on visiting each and every manyatta (homestead) in Karamoja and shared challenges with locals.

There was a collapsed technical school in Kaabong. Mr. Kizige, in his capacity, lobbied for the revival of that technical school, and as of now it is functioning.

He also ensured that a presidential pledge of a school of nursing and midwifery in Kaabong became operational, and as of today the school is functioning.

Tired of the lack of enough accommodation in Moroto, he convinced and negotiated for land for Hotel Africana in Moroto to set up a hotel, and as we speak right now, that is one of the most loved hotels in the entire region.

Apart from that, Mr. Kizige lobbied for a dam in Kotido, because it was only Kotido that had no dam. He also lobbied for the student loan scheme and encouraged all students who qualified to apply, and he made follow-ups with the executive secretary, and Karamoja benefited a lot.

Mr. Kizige laboured and took many Karimojong students to study at Nawanyago Technical Institute and St. Joseph Technical Institute, both in Kamuli District. This was a good gesture since it also worked as exposure study.

Those are the leaders who left Karamoja with clean names. When another two ministers were taken to Karamoja, Ms. Agnes Nadutu and Dr. Mary Goretti Kitutu, they did not even last before they diverted the iron sheets meant for the people of Karamoja.

When the Karimojong learnt that their intended iron sheets were diverted by the two ministers, who should have been the custodians of Karamoja items, they started shedding tears, and indeed the tears caught up with the two ministers, who are now living as ordinary people, although only one, Agnes Nadutu, is in prison.