Early this week, President Museveni pitched camp at Morulinga State Lodge in Napak district, some 27 kilometers from Moroto town, to coordinate his wealth creation mobilization tour of Karamoja sub region from December 3rd to 5th, 2024.
With several activities, including an on-the-spot tour of PDM successful farmers, a meeting with the local leaders, and holding a public rally, President Museveni announced key areas of focus to cause massive transformation of the region.
Museveni emphasized the need for a shift in thinking among the Karamojong people and encouraged them to adopt modern agricultural practices as a pathway to prosperity.
He stressed the importance of integrating both crop and livestock farming for sustainable wealth creation.
According to President Museveni, transforming the region that was once conquered by raider and instability requires a drastic mindset change, “mental disarmament” to mobilize residents to fully embrace farming.
To Museveni, with the prevailing peace and stability in the area, every household in the area should engage in farming as a reliable source of income in the region.
“Why should other people live a soft life and we continue living a very miserable life? This time we are saying that agriculture, both crop and livestock farming, is the way to go. You need to do this with Cura (Lango), Aimar (Ateso), mathematically,” the president said.
According to the president, whereas the government has greatly improved infrastructures, including roads, among other things, a large percentage of Karamoja locals are still poor.
He emphasized that with PDM support, local people can now successfully engage in farming using the Shs1 million given to each household every year.
The president also noted that the government will construct two dams per sub-county to provide water for massive production.
“The most important thing is water; after peace, people are now beginning to wake up. The most important thing is water because without water it is hard to do farming.
“I am insisting on agriculture because it is employing a lot of people; everybody can come in, and that’s why NRM always insists on integrated planning. So let us consolidate agriculture. The people of Karamoja should be productive.
Following the failure of the white goat project due to corruption, Museveni warned government officials against misuse of resources, highlighting the importance of integrity in achieving developmental goals.
President Museveni’s latest strategies for transforming the Karamoja sub region focus heavily on leveraging existing peace and stability to promote economic empowerment through agriculture.
His efforts aim to address persistent poverty and underdevelopment in the region through a combination of mindset change, strategic infrastructure improvements, and government-backed programs like the Parish Development Model (PDM).
