The forthcoming meeting is expected to put Ssegawa and Dr. Lugero’s competing documents under scrutiny as the Lands Ministry seeks to establish the lawful status of the disputed property and determine what, if any, compensation may be due.
This year’s event is being held under the theme “Empowering the IK Community of Karamoja through Coffee Farming to End Poverty.” The theme reflects the organizers’ broader ambition to use coffee farming as a tool for economic empowerment while drawing attention to communities facing poverty and limited livelihood opportunities.
“Now, every time the Budget is read, we hear just increments of taxes on most consumable products such as alcohol, and sugar, among others. How would you expect me to listen to something that bothers me more? The President should instead downsize the district security structures where people are fond of playing the same roles,” Kayiira said.
“With trailblazers like YPA, our young people can create millions of jobs and opportunities back home for themselves rather than flock out of the country to work as maids and offer unskilled labour in what are sometimes indecent and very dehumanizing conditions abroad,” Museveni said.
The Ateker-speaking communities include the Nyangatomo of Ethiopia; the Toposa, Bari, and Torit of South Sudan; the Iteso, Turkana, and Masai of Kenya; the Iteso, Karimojong, Jie, Dodoth, Kumam, Langi, and Kakwa of Uganda; and the Masai of Tanzania, plus other closely-knit groups spread across the greater East African region.
By conducting this study, the government aims to identify which tax exemptions are beneficial and which may need reform or elimination. This could lead to more informed policy decisions that balance fiscal responsibility with economic development goals.
The ministry has been issuing titles, but the exercise was recently halted to critically resolve the matter. Now officials at MZO are worried that public outcry is going to be so much.