BAD WEEDS HAVE INVADED THE KARIMOJONG POLITICAL PLANTATION

Electronic media consumers, the broadcast audience and all patrons of rumours in Karamoja are disillusioned by the frustrating ‘cowardly reactions’ of some of their leaders to the efforts of area legislators to beat development alert drums meant to let Nakasero face the semi arid region and also guard against intruders into the region’s natural assets.

The issue stems from the alleged illegal sale of a plot of land measuring more than 15,000 acres at Moruita Sub County in Nakapiripirit district to companies; Feronia Uganda Limited and Pro-Solutions Limited, at Shs140 million without any permission from the customary land rights owners. Another issue was the law makers’ concern over the sorry state of roads in the region and their threat to cut ties with the regime.

Daily Monitor newspaper reported that MPs from Karamoja said “that they have lined up evidence to pin the first family and some officials of the district land board who forged minutes of the district land board as having approved the dubious land transaction.”

This report obviously irritated the first lady who is also minister for Karamoja affairs and ludicrously, it as well created horror for some timid leaders at the district level. With temerity, these panicky district chiefs reportedly went on their knees to say sorry to the people from state house for what in their wisdom was possibly the ‘unserious complaints’ of colleagues. However, their midnight gamble has provoked bitter criticism from the Karimojong electorates on the internet, on radio wave, even those who subscribe to big mouthed colleagues at most places of gathering like Marua joints in the region.

On the internet, one potential voter said “When we expected them to go and debate Karamoja issues and to name and shame, or at least call for commissions of inquiries into the land grabbing in Karamoja, some opportunist leaders used the June 13th meeting with political leaders and technocrats to apologise to 'MAMA' and profess Karamoja's 'love' for her!!!”
This electorate added, “The Abim LCV, Moroto LCV, Hon. Terence, and an unlikely person in Hon. Loki are all quoted!!!”

Another member charged, “Battles against the seemingly invincible scavengers of Karamoja resources need to be sustained.”


Honestly, this is a very sensitive topic for a man my size to lay strong comments on. Nonetheless, I understand the position of two remorseful men quoted; the Local Council bosses of Abim and Moroto. They are men with very unique perceptions of world issues although inexplicably, politics happens to be their destiny.

Some of these guys were meant to be preacher men. To encourage positivity in the world by discouraging evil deeds through mere humble words of the lord and not by pointing an accusing finger at a thief since the Bible says all men are created in the image of God. The Bible also teaches us that all men in today’s world are sinners although the disobedient fruit was eaten by only one man who died long time ago. These men believe in repentance. Thus, they also believe that if a thief steals money from your pocket, give him as well your ATM card and allow him to equally withdraw from your bank account.

Others were supposed to be mere comedians and trick-stars. To serve the world in the entertainment industry by creating untrue statements that sounds true and presenting in front of a large innocent audience who end up spending all their monies to pay the price of lies. However, a political comedian is worse than a religious politician. A comedian is like a conman. He uses wrong ideas to steal money from the audience; all he will strive to do well is protect his job by singing praises for the sponsors of the function that gives him the platform to play his creepy game. We should try to weed these characters off our political plantation otherwise the voters shall continue paying the price. Am done for the moment.

FAIR THEE WELL MRS MOREL, GOD BRING BACK NABUMALI TO SHAPE

May your soul rest in everlasting peace dear Mrs Morel. Wanalobi died in a motor accident near Iganga, according to a report my friends sent me Monday. My heart is down because Mrs Wanalobi had a hand in building the road to this precious blog. She alongside George Watika taught me English Literature at Nabumali High school- some close to a decade ago. My class gave her the name of a woman in the novel.

Mrs Morel is the protagonist in D.H Lawrence’s novel “Sons and Lovers”, an account of a painful life of a simple woman married to a cruel miner and drunkard. Their house conflict leads to disjointment and Mrs Morel transfers her passion for husband to her two sons; William and Paul. The love for sons and love for mother makes all intimate projects of both William and Paul fail...until the death of William, death of Mrs Morel herself and that lonely world of Paul.

Madam Wanalobi’s test for Mrs Morel’s characters and love for the book itself compelled my class to let her have the woman’s name. Wanalobi was also a sports loving woman and served as house mistress for Hannington girls. I also belonged to Hannington house although I put on Banks T- Shirts and spent most of my better times in Annex Baghdad with the bad boys.

All the good life was there for us in school until the strike of 2004 that brought ruin to the institution. To recall the strike, some unserious policemen grabbed me, Jude, Obi and other innocent fellows at dawn while catching up with sleep at a kafunda in Nabumali trading centre (koona) after a painful night of fire and police tear gas at school. Students flew like guineafowls into the nearby bushes when police stepped in to avert the situation. But boy, the girls who started this strike faced the ramification beginning that very night. Police and other opportunists were reported to have raped young things in the bushes as a prerequisite for not being detained as a suspect.

Poor me with sleep on my face was also grabbed because I took refuge in a wrong place. It was Jude’s Kafunda. The boy had a suspension from school after he was found openly enjoying some new student (some one’s daughter) down the swimming pool area -behind the geography room. Jude was to go home and call his parents, but he preferred renting a room at koona so he can pay somebody later to play as a parent at the time for reporting back. Unfortunately, the strike came when girls went batty over the absence of mere piped water yet we also had bore holes and nearby wells.

Driven we were in a police vehicle to the head teacher’s home. Fortunately Mafabi did not find any fault in the boy from Abim; my other colleagues were also acquitted except Jude because of his love making scandal. H/M told police to proceed with Jude to Central Police Station (CPS) in Mbale town so he can make a statement like a strike suspect. Jude did what police wanted, but trust me -he was innocent. Then, when free things become costly is when Obi asks the police carryng Jude for a lift to town so he could go to the park and go home. Boy, police drove Obi and Jude whole-sale paka CPS and forced all to make statements of suspected students involved in the strike. The problem was that Obi did not have any thing for kitu kidogo, he had to suffer locally.

Today what I know about Nabumali is that the 2004 strike that brought down the giant administration structure demoralised teachers, parents and bright students from subscribing to any development in the school. Nevertheless, the school still boasts for its products -some very significant citizens of this country and beyond. Some of the alumnae include; the late John Garang, former vice president of Sudan and leader of Southern Sudan, Dr Beatrice Wabudeya, Minister for Kampala Capital City Authority, Justice James Ogoola, Acting Justice of the supreme court of Uganda, James Waphakabulo (RIP) former Foreign Affairs Minister of Uganda, Lt Col. David Oyite Ojok former army chief of staff in Uganda, Aggrey Awori , former Minister for ICT and member of parliament in Uganda among several others.

This Saturday as the school’s alumnae gather to celebrate 100 years of Nabumali existence, I hope they’ll raise enough funds to support the reconstruction, I hope they’ll also observe a moment of silence in respect to fallen colleagues like Mrs Morel who was both a former student and teacher. I wish well all those who will endeavour to attend this historic event and I will watch from Karamoja because our roads here are terrible!

WHY THE LORUPE RACE IS LIKE A FLOP

What I wanted to do a fortnight ago was have my say on the Tegla Lorupe Foundation race that takes place annually for/in Karamoja –Turkana. I kept on hesitating to critic the function because of ordinary fear. But today, a colleague on Karamoja Development Forum (KDF), a facebook networking group provoked me to unleash the dragon.

The race is I perceive, geared towards bringing together warriors from both the Turukana and Karamoja clusters for peace. Tegla herself is reknown for her athletic record. It is very difficult to exactly tell the way in which peace can be enhanced by letting the guys come and run a short distance within a small radius in town. I thought a cross boarder race could give a fairer accountability of this peace building claim and also demonstrate unity and the feat of peace. But, I suspect the people who matter in this arrangement believe in the long speeches that get translated to the local language listening crowd who by the time of the talking are really tired and hungry and are obviously very inattentive.

During the recent race in Moroto, am sorry to mention that the organisers were on sweat hunting for willing bodies to take part in the activity. Well, there were some chosen few known athletes and some cheap –to-maintain warrior squads from both Kenya and Uganda. They were partially facilitated mainly by way of packing them behind pickup trucks and some in the spare tyre space in the Land Cruisers, the Tegla T-shirts and then, their food (they like posho and beans...I suspect they were given) which is cheap. And what next, the question of egg-like people takes a lot of resources normally –unfortunately!

My KDF colleague thus commented, “...so called Peace race that has yielded unreasonable results so far in four races ...” I go by what he thinks although I don’t know his argument. But, basing on situations on the ground, I say peace is still indeed wanting in Karamoja and that Turukana side of Kenya. The numerous peace meetings I attended show a very bad relationship between Turukana and Tepeth people. There is a village called Naut in Katikekile parish Tapac Sub County in Moroto that can attest to this. As we communicate now, people have flown off from Naut because of constant attacks or threats of attack, animal raids and killings of humankind by suspected Kenyan warriors.

The other reason one could easily indict the Lorupe thing for merely coming to Moroto or going to Kapenguria for a bash, is the way more affluent lot are big beneficiaries of the dollars thrown in by sponsorors of the occasion. For instance during the recent race held in Moroto, I wondered how little the would have been real recipients were made to pocket. I did not properly verify the money figure, but the first in the race did not take what is more than Ush 250000/= the third took just Ush 100000/=, and really few they were.

Another bad sign was exposed when the Master of Ceremony (MC) asked participants and...’OTHERS’ to go for lunch. NB :( lunch was served at 5:00PM, so it was lunch /supper –to even reduce the cost). The MC said this:

“...all the registered participants in the race are asked to go to Moroto Municipal Primary school for their lunch, all the officiating participants to go also to Moroto Municipal Primary School... but some where different from the other participants...and the invited guests will be received at Hotel Leslona for their lunch and refreshment...” here now just think about the expenditure at Leslona and those at the primary school. Who should have been where? And who is more important or fragile in the deal for creating peace for the conflicting warriors?

Tegla Lorupe Foundation should think beyond annual lobbying for big dollars for printing cheap T-shirts, facilitating town based short distance races and throwing party for “invited guests”. Think of a more visible, tangible and result oriented project that can create lasting peace, security and improve the livelihoods of the warriors across the border forever. Otherwise, this one off race is becoming a very bad type of Christmas or Iddi!

TORORO CEMENT, THE KARAMOJA MARBLE PROJECT AND THE LABOURERS

As law makers from Karamoja sub region wake up from their deep sleep and start barking at people they suspect to be hacking the land resource in the area, more inhuman acts should be the number two question in the queue of unfair Karamoja ventures in my view.

I write here with regards to what Tororo Cement Factory is doing to its servants – the Karimojong locals – the third class workers inputting to the cement factory from the marble mining site in Moroto district. It is a big act of exploitation of humanity- similar to those of the colonial time. In fact now I understand why historians argue that neo-colonialism is worse than the official colonial operations. One rough idea could be; well, that Africans then were in the hands of European masters, but today even a continent like Asia that never had muscles to colonise can fit in the masters’ title because of its financial and business strength.

The other emblematical reason is one in which I am a witness. It is one in which Lokwakipi Lokwang, a resident of Kosiroi marble mining site is a victim. Reader, my pen went heavy as I scribbled down this story. I forced the driver to pinch the break at a site where Lokwang was performing the donkey task. First, I apologise for failure to carry my digital Cam that could have displayed the real donkey task to viewers. Nevertheless, the facts are in the next paragraph.

The excavator exhumes huge stones and leaves them out in their colossal sizes because men should break them up using locally twisted heavy metals; it’s not bad, because the men will be paid money. This stones are so hard and men have to cut trees and fetch big logs to hit the stones up so they can easily split them; it’s not hard since cash is involved. But men prefer to work on an individual basis possibly so the big cash can go to an individual; its okay since ready money is the answer. A big truck should be loaded with the stones and when it’s full is when the worker is paid; fine –cash is coming. The whole battle to fetch stones that can fill a marble truck takes between two to three weeks.

I watched the task Lokwang was performing for a quick five minutes. It was like a scary movie on slaves and slave trade in colonial Africa, yet this is a normal way of earning a living in North-Eastern Uganda. As I coiled back to the car, the Lucky Dube song, “I am a slave ...a prisoner...” that was rocking on the heavy Nissan Patrol car provoked stupid tears from my skull, but nothing more than saying it on the blog, can I do!

The factory buys a fully loaded lorry of marble at Ushs.110,000/- (one hundred, ten thousand Ugandan money only). This is where I feel, the legislators should take over from when they get done with the land gymnastic. I know am not very good at sciences, but I tried hard to balance the equation of the work to the remuneration given and it just can’t come. Lokwnag told me that his colleagues tried to advocate for an increment of the pay to some Ushs. 250,000 but no master wants to listen to this. They threaten “if you say so then we shall bring machines to break the stones...” he said.

Now I hear this deal of milking Karamoja without feeding has been given to Tororo Cement for a couple of years. A lease am told, of 25 years was given to the cement factory to continue doing what they do in the place until time comes for its renewal again. I hope the lives of individuals who are engaged at the site will also be fresh as the factory continues gaining profits by hiking the price of cement and reducing the pay for the stone fighters.

However, they say the factory does a good tax paying job by releasing almost some 40 million shillings almost annually to the local government. How big is 40 million? May be quite big! But we need to pray for the roads and the people who could not be knowing the current global economic stand. Let me rest the case here for now.

WISDOM OF THE TEPETH ELDERS

This week I found delight in documenting some of the ingenuities that God the all mighty has given to the Tepeth people. The people of the mountain. Mountain Moroto. Their wisdom as reflected by the way they named their sub county, their parishes, their villages, their...

Tapac is the sub county and the name comes from the fact that wide seasonal rivers and bloodcurdling valleys are commonplace both on the way to and inside this land. There is also Natumkale - the parish; ‘ngikalei’ is a Karimojong noun for kids (the young of goats). Natumkale is a description of ‘fat kids’. They told me the name was given because young of goats are really healthy in this parish.

Another is Katikekile - the parish. There is scarcity of water in this place and an old story has it that one time a man drowned inside sand in the course of digging for water. So the place was named ‘Katikekile’ which means ‘it pressed a man’. Then comes, nakonyen the village; ‘ngakonyen’ in ngakarimojong is the eye. The name is got from the business of the eyes in looking all round especially when one is conscious of external threat. The Tepeth named this village baring in mind the insecurity problem in the location. Indeed, when you are in nakonyen all your senses should focus on insecurity. It is one spot in Tapac with the highest level of threats. Threats of attacks from Matheniko and threats of attacks from the Turkana people of Kenya.

There is also Kosiroi -the village. ‘Ngisiroi’ is a Karimojong name for some small size type of wild animals commonly known as digidigis. Am not sure if ‘digidigi’ is English, but at least I have ever heard even an English man call the animal the same name. Kosiroi was named so, because of the big number of digidigis (ngisirois) in the area. You will also find a village called Naut. ‘Ngauuata’ is ngakarimojong description of valley lands. The village is precisely sited on this type of land, hence its name.

I equally find beauty in the naming of Nakwanga -the parish. Ekwang is white thing in colour for ngakarimojong. The parish of Nakwanga has got majority white looking trees according to the Tepeth. I think they also considered white flowering flora that are common here. So the name was created. It is ‘white environment’ -to loosely translate for you. Another village is Adulai. Ngidulai are granaries (food stores) in the above local language. The Adulai people had lots of granaries and so the Tepeth thought the place suits being called Adulai.

Now think about Didi village. This is just a description of a narrow path. Apparently, the way to Didi village is quite slim. The village is located in the middle of rocks up far on the mountain top with white snow oftenly hanging lazily above it. In their acumen, the Tepeth had to say this place is Didi. When you come to Lopelipel, you will be told that the name was given because of the gradient of the way from this village. ‘Epilipeli’ in ngakarimojong is a depiction of ‘hilly and rocky’. If you know this village, then you must know why non-4WD vehicles cannot easily climb through despite the well graded road.

Funny names are many in Tapac. In fact all places are named because of a thing or two. Let’s talk about a village called Naracuc. The Tepeth told me that deep into the heart of this village up in the thick of snows, flies cannot survive because of the coldness involved. I visited naracuc but time blocked me from reaching the snow spot where Francis Lowal’s family live. But reader, it is a beautiful environ. It has beautiful rocks and valleys. Beautiful people. Beautiful...I’ll tell you all tomorrow.

Even just Lotorongor is a funny village name. Lotorongor is found in Natumkale parish at the border of Kenya - almost nearing the great East African rift valley. The name Lotorongor was derived from ‘angorianut’. This is ngakarimojong for dirtiness. Boy, people here are true dirty human beings. Think about a dirty person as said by a warrior...it is real dirtiness of the body and of the environment. So by the time a warrior calls a thing dirty, it is more that it. A scientist would describe it as death.

The story is too big here, but I have little space and little time on this precious weekly blog of mine. I will stop here, go home and think about another thing for my audience because I can’t write a Bible! Why talk of a Bible? There are 31 villages in Tapac, all with their interesting meanings. So over 31 descriptions of meanings will use up my ink. Let me attend to another life-line for now and for the rest of this week...

NAKONYEN, THE COSMOPOLITAN VILLAGE

With a population of over 500 people, a chunk of land that touches that of Pokot-land, that of Matheniko and nearly the soils of Bokora; Nakonyen village is a distinctive rural setting that needs special focus by people in the development steer ring.

This south western Tepeth home place is famous for numerous things. Most NGO and government facilitated tribal, cross border and clan conflict peace talks in the warrior districts of Uganda and Kenya are convened in this village. Nakonyen has Kenya Pokots from the Northern districts – people from Alale area, Uganda Pokots from Amudat district to the south of Karamoja, the Tepeth themselves from the mountains of Moroto and some -not easily identified Matheniko and Bokora people.

It is unbelievable, but these people coexist in this rich piece of land for several reasons. According to Mzee Lomiat Eliya, a top opinion leader of the Tepeth in Uganda, Nakonyen is yet to be discovered and built up. “This is the place where the Tepeth would have settled if there was security,” Eliya says as he struggles to break the virginity of the flora from a plot he admires for the growth of cereals.

Although it is put at the rank of village, Nakonyen is more than even a parish; it is actually capable of a Sub County. The ‘village’ has four settlement points; there is Naturungole at the central vicinity, Longolebukut South of the locale, Napukoret to the East and Lonyaa in the Western quarter. Three of these are Kraal locations, save for Lonyaa which is a shamba-land and -a free for normal hut building spot.

Why does anyone think that most development partners choose Nakonyen for peace negotiations of tribal conflicts? It is because the place is not only one of the major crossing points for raiders, it has a mix of people living together but also a hide out for criminal characters. The people in Nakonyen can be raiders and can also be used to block raiders. They can ambush and do killings, yet can also be used to crash people who do such killings. But what is important to mention about this vast village are the attractions of its inhabitants.

Two main things have invited people to Nakonyen; the fertile-virgin soil with a rain belt placement that favours crop cultivation and the sexy green grass that makes animals ever healthy and ever happy. Although the village has only one borehole as a water source, the community here are persistent and are ever active digging and shouting after their animals. Cultivators come from such Tepeth villages like Timngorok almost at the Imaget some 30 kilometres away.

After seeing all said above, I will not end before warning you land-hungry man of the obvious stinking insecurity in Nakonyen. Die-hard men and women who do human sacrifices for traditional reasons also live here. Die-hard hunters who can turn their bows and arrows and guns on innocent men of God also live here. Die hard raiders who solely rely on the art of animal theft for livelihood are members in this jungle.

Nevertheless, looking at how people struggle to find at least some thing to do in Nakonyen, I feel government and her partners in development can achieve bigger things for this cosmopolitan community. The local government could give Nakonyen a sub county status straight so a visible headquarter is created. The offices would call for the provision of maximum security and the need for revenue for the sub county development would enahance the establishment of market places. Being at the border, I see a great market for both animals and imported goods from Kenya.

Other partners would fill other gaps like health and educational services delivery. Then the virgin chunk of land would be put to use. Otherwise the truth that needs to be told is that the Tepeth are cheated as long as Nakonyen will keep being referred to as a village. Me I call it a sub county already because of its size and its potential to sustain itself upon any government initiated development... full stop.

THE PARTY THAT ATE THE WEEKEND

What a party! I have never known by the book what men and women need in a party. Over the weekend there was this brief revelry organised by my work colleagues to pat Patti. Patti was our admin lady. Upon directives from above, she is taking her expertise to a bigger office in a different location with the same employer.

Two things drew my attention as a free man in a new world of teetotallers. It wasn’t the music, not the pithy munchies or the party outfits, but the speeches and the temperament. Ok, lady Jacky who was at the skyline, presided over the thing. Jacky did not make a full vocalisation; I know she could have, but as a pivot, one has to touch here, turn there and open space for representatives and generally to make everything possible. She was perfect - to say the least.

As cold wind from the Imaget slithered in the milieu of the party birds, you could tell that some things seem missing for the gentlemen and ladies around. Well, the table at the centre had some drinks –mainly beer for Simon’s friends and sodas for my associates. But my colleagues still looked lost! Some are looking at the heavy sky, some at the pithy munchies. I could not blame the new staff seated like observers of a community event...I think the heaviness is partly because of the foreign-like weather and the absence of lady guest of honour. Honestly Patti came later, and edibles were frozen already.

Tommy, the guy that was charged with speaking for my village mates observed that Patti was going away but should rest assured that she will be remembered by the villagers for her smartness in doing work. Patti’s common avowal “it’s not nice...we have issues...” were according to Tommy some of the things that will make her remembered.

For me Patti is a perfectionist lady who treasures smart work, clarity and plane facts. If you took unfinished work to her, she would kindly ask you to clean it up. If you returned to her with another gap undone, she would say “it’s not nice...and wordy you a lot to make you feel flippant. This -we should face it, is administrative character. As a mild administrator you will not last long and will do poorly because the administered will let you down and of course let you go!

Another big boss with a bible name also coddled Lady Patti along the same line of work. That she loves transparency. That she is a lady of precision. Dan thanked colleagues for keeping Patti safe and wished her well in the new office.

Like already hinted of her, Lady Patti came down to say sorry to those she could have exasperated during her time with us. She could have not said this, but I think she did it because speakers had spoken their hearts about her. She must have felt loved by the mere fact that colleagues understood her and said it without hiding what she really is. I observed the nonconforming emotions with which the jean lady spoke. She wanted to cry because she could not probably stand the weight of love as expressed by friends.

The next business was the music. Some prickly song was played as the crow flies to raise the curtain for the dancers, and the man who took the jean lady to the podium was John himself. John is the man in charge of local procurements and maintenances and welfares and securities and stock and...

As a very busy man or a man of numerous appointments, I left this place shortly. I had to leave because in any case I did not have electricity. It seems people caught fire right away and burnt themselves quick. Next day in office, the pictures taken by one of the common boys were pretty crazy! But the big thing had happened and happened successfully.