KARAMOJA SECURITY DOMINATES GRADUATION PARTY

BY SIMON PETER LONGOLI

After the loss of two promising Karimojong students to armed thugs, Karimojong students and Karamoja MPs spent some time to discuss security issues in Karamoja at a graduation party on Friday.

The graduation party of Lotukei Ambrose, the D.E.O of Kotido held at Namboole Sports Hotel was attended by Karimojong students, Peter Loki (Jie MP) and Achia Remigio (Pian MP) among others.

Lotukei acquired a master’s degree in education planning and management, graduating on 20^th February from Uganda Christian University.

The matter was sparked by the Chairperson of Karamoja Students’ Development Association, Ekapel Hillary who said students had been the victims of armed violence in recent days.

Cephas Aleper was killed in a road attack in Kotido on 23^rd January. The LCV Kotido has been charged for the murder and is on trial. Another student, Ruffino was killed on 16^th of February in a road ambush by suspected Pokot cattle rustlers.

“It should be noted that people who have this kind of sentiments (murdering others) should be exposed,” said the Lotukei.

The Jie Legislator took time off to appeal to students to be agents of change in Karamoja.

“You are the vanguard of Karamoja; you are the hope of change. Until you realize that, you are not going to change Karamoja,” he said. “The destiny of every one else depends on what you do. Unless you become cadres of transformation, society is not going to change,” he added.

Remigio blamed the current insecurity situation in Karamoja on negligence by the UPDF. He said the UPDF are not well facilitated to protect lives and property in Karamoja.

“Some times the armored tanks do not have even fuel to track lost cattle. The UPDF some times do not have food or water while in field,” he said.

He however said the lack of trust by government to give arms to some sections of Karamoja, as was done for Amuka Militia in Acholi and Arrow boys in Teso, has hampered attempts to find lasting peace in Karamoja.

“Mistrust in partnership is failing us. Why can’t government trust us to work with it to end this impunity?” Remigio charged.

HE LOST HIS COWS TO THE UPDF, NOW HE WANTS TO MEET THE PRESIDENT

By Simon Peter Longoli

ARAMTORI Lokodu is a no nonsense man. He says all his cows were taken by the army in January. He now wants to meet President Museveni.

He has for two days pitched camp at parliament and has vowed never to leave parliament until his demands are met.

He has also refused to eat until that is fulfilled.

Aramtori, a resident of Loroo Sub County in Amudat district lost 295 cows to the UPDF when they raided Loroo after a Pokot raid of Matheniko County in Moroto district last January.

“I am setting camp here at parliament until my cows are brought back. The UPDF raided my cows and they either give them back to me or give me money to buy other cows,” he says through an interpreter.

Aramtori says he is a peacemaker and has supported the army since the beginning of the disarmament process. Pictures of him and the soldiers at his home are shown on a placard pinned on his tent that reads in part:

“I am a peacemaker and my cows and others of peaceful men amounting to 3500 have been taken by the UPDF. I have come to parliament to meet the president or those in authority over my cows, mismanagement of the disarmament process and injustices in Karamoja,” it reads.

Aramtori who has six wives, about 20 children and an undisclosed number of grandchildren says his cows are his only source of survival. His family, he says, now has nothing to survive on.

He has been in company of his 19 year old granddaughter, Rebecca Lokodatum who is a senior three student at a Sebei College, Kapchorwa.

He says one of his wives was at the kraal at the time of the raid.

She followed the cows up until the army barracks. He alleges his wife watched as 16 bulls were eaten by the UPDF and the cows supplied to the Matheniko.

Aramtori says he has since supported the disarmament process. He narrates that he has ever singlehandedly collected 260 guns and handed them over to the UPDF.

He now feels betrayed.

It is only 12 hours since he pitched camp at parliament and though he is on hunger strike, he looks easy and entertains those around him with his great sense of humor.

When he heard the police wanted him to relocate to sleep somewhere because of the cold, he chuckled and told the police that in Karamoja they do not migrate at night. He later accepted and went in the company of Francis Kiyonga, MP for Upe County.

Kiyonga said attempts to have Aramtori meet authorities are being made.

“His demands have been given to the speaker of parliament and State house has also been informed,” he said.

Aramtori is angry, disillusioned, and he feels the government should compensate him.

His determination to remain at parliament is unwavering and he says it is as strong as his desire to keep going hungry.

ENDS…

Less than 15 Karimojong Graduate at Makerere

By Simon Peter Longoli at MAKERERE

at the end of the graduation ceremony at Makerere University, Uganda’s main institution of higher learning, only 15 Karimojong would have graduated.

Speaking after his graduation yesterday (Tuesday), Mark Lotukei, a graduate of Actuarial science said there were just about three of them graduating.

On Wednesday’s graduation, another five are expected to be receiving their degrees.

This number is very minimal and in the five days of training, it is expected that just about 15 Karimojong will graduate.

Makerere University is graduating about 13,000 students this year. The 15 Karimojong represent about 0.1% of the total graduates.

The Karimojong population is around 1 million.

A number of them have also not been able to graduate pending retakes and non clearance.

This is not a very low figure considering in the past Karimojong have been fewer.

Education still remains a challenge to Karimojong and many have not made it to school. The literacy level in Karamoja is expected to be around 12 percent.

A Police project called RELOKA
By Simon Peter Longoli
KARAMOJA- On holiday last August, I realised there was a police project in Karamoja called RELOKA, an acronym for Restoration of Law and Order in Karamoja.
For decades, there has not been an active police in Karamoja, save in Moroto District headquarters.
This was because of the insecurity situation in Karamoja then. Because the locals were always armed to the teeth, the police could be rendered almost useless. In the begining of the lst decade,the Uganda police started to create police Stations and police posts in most of Karamoja.
Restoration of law and order in Karamoja may be a plausible phrase for a project.
Its success hinges on the success of the government disarmament program.
Karimojong should no longer be given the liberty to move around with their guns yet possession of a gun or a bullet is criminal according to the constitution for non military personnel.
RELOKA is definitely welcome and should crack on armed persons, illegal activities and should really police these Ugandans in the north and north east of the country.

RELOKA is long overdue.

Police Officers Decline to Serve in Karamoja

Agencies

23 September 2009

Over 120 police officers could be dismissed from the Uganda Police Force after they failed to report to the Karamoja region, a conflict riddled area in Northeastern Uganda, where they had been transferred.

The officers have been given the officers a seven days ultimatum to report to Karamoja or be declared deserters.

Over 200 officers were last month transferred to Karamoja under the Restoration of Law and Order in Karamoja (RELOKA program), but 120 of them refused to move. Karamoja region is commonly known for poor living conditions, poor quality of life due to harsh weather, insecurity, marginalization, illiteracy, poor health and poor infrastructure among others.

The Police Disciplinary Committee issued the ultimatum on Tuesday morning after realizing that most of officers, who were transferred to Karamoja have never reported for duty.

Most police officers fear to work in Karamoja because they consider it a hostile environment.

Police recently instituted a directive to have officers working in Kampala serve one year in Karamoja.

The Police disciplinary Committee chaired by Assistant Inspector General of Police, Okoth Ochola has recommended that the said officers find their way to Karamoja or else be dismissed.

A source from the committee who declined to be named fearing to be reprimanded said that officers who fail to take up the transfer will be declared deserters and arrested on sight.

He said that the officers will be charged for ignoring lawful orders of the force.

300 Karimojong Rounded Up in Kampala Operation

Florence Nakaayi

19 October 2009

Kampala — OVER 300 Karimojong street children and adults have been rounded up in a joint operation between Kampala City Council (KCC) and the Police. The exercise was carried out on Saturday in Kisenyi, Katwe and Nsambya suburbs where the Karimojong were hiding.

KCC officials said the adults were abusing children by sending them to beg. A mother, whose three-year-old son went missing during the operation, said she had sent him to look for food.

Andrew Lumunye, the Karimojong’s representative at Katwe Base Zone II, attributed their migration to the city to poverty, famine and social insecurity.

“I feel pity when I see these children and mothers on the streets. They run away from their villages in search of food,” said Lumunye, who has lived in Kampala for three years.

He said the climate in Karamoja is not favourable for agriculture, adding that the food supplied by relief agencies is not enough.

The group was taken to the Kampala Central Police Station. Anatoli Muleterwa, the Police chief, said: “We are already in touch with Kampiringisa Rehabilitation Centre, where the group would be sorted out for resettlement.” Principal law officer Vincent Katungi said the operation was part of a campaign to make the city clean.

“We had a challenge of clearing these street children but this will be a routine operation .” Katungi criticised some politicians for saying KCC was abusing the Karimojong’s right to movement by rounding them up.