CHAMELEON BORED MOROTO FANS, POULTRY DEALERS GO TO HEAVEN

THE outbreak of animal sickness - foot and mouth disease in Moroto has opened space for chicken dealers to hit a jackpot selling every bird at double the old price.

As animal slaughterers go underdogs with medical department discouraging any eating of goat or cattle meat due to fear ‘the disease could spread to humans’,   Poultry keepers are enjoying the bonanza.

Currently, the price of the largest cock goes to 25,000UGX. An average bird is fixed at 20,000UGX and the minimum you can pay if your family cannot do without blood is only 15,000UGX.

Boy, despite this Christmas rates, birds are selling like hot cake prepared in heaven and sold down along the most expensive street on planet earth.  Even sick birds are fetching money. Even baby birds are fetching money!

Anyone thinking of an exotic chicken breed business in Moroto? Go for it, there is market. What we are buying today are local breeds whose maturity takes years. Anyone thinking of hiring a whole Lorry to bring cheap exotic chicken breed to Moroto? Just do it! And do it now!

For the next two-three months, I see more hope in the business of murdering chicken and no good return for those who butcher goats and cattle. Why? Even after the veterinary people will clear the ground and give back the knives to animal slaughterers, people can only limp back to a full responsibility of eating meat.

The mindset for now is corrupted and for the Judas in the world of chicken, they will continue living in heaven until the goat-cattle customers get back home late.

What is Foot and Mouth disease?

Foot and mouth, or hoof and mouth disease is a viral infection that affects cattle, sheep and swine. It is spread from animal to animal through direct contact with an infected animal or from food that has been contaminated. Human beings can also spread this disease through direct contact with infected and uninfected animals.

There is also foot and mouth disease found in humans. What is true is that the two diseases are quite different as they are caused by different viruses. However, a doctor’s reason is crucial here explaining why they stopped us from eating cloven-hoofed animals in Moroto. Can any veterinary expert explain this to us better.

 

From the entertainment world. This weekend in Moroto, East Africa’s most celebrated dance hall king Jose Chameleon was in town. According to eavesdroppers, this fellow sneaked in to take advantage of Karamoja’s sexy scenery at Rupa mineral bank in Moroto district. Snoops suspect that Mr. Chameleon might be cooking another popular Music video with a Karimojong ingredient in it.

He bored the crowed at Hotel Leslona when his fanatics forced him into a performance program. I believe the star wasn’t in the mood of doing it. An inescapable plea from local music zealots forced the tired Chameleon to the stage. He did about six songs in about six minutes and you can tell how the fans must have cried for more. They equally cried for their hard earned 10,000k they surrendered for entry.

In my honest observation, something so special was expected out of Mr. Chameleon by Moroto fans.  His wife Daniela Atim grew up in Moroto town. Daniela’s childhood friends and those admirers of her impeccable look were enthusiastic and wanted to see their girl alongside the music giant during this surprise pop into Karamoja’s most known town. She was not there.

At the show in Leslona, fans openly and loudly referred to Chameleon as MUKO. Chameleon also visited Moroto’s top Club 24 –formerly KICKS. He couldn’t stand the pressure of people following him like Jesus Christ on a second coming. He hardly killed five minutes at Club24. He left the place and headed straight to his hotel. I believe the next time he comes back, it will be in a bigger way. Let’s prepare the ground for the second coming.

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LET’S BROADEN THE “LET GIRLS BE GIRLS CAMPAIGN”

The editorial article “Join Campaign to end teenage pregnancies”, Daily Monitor, Wednesday July 16^th caught my attention.

The “Let girls be girls” campaign launched recently by the Ministry of Health in Butaleja district is indeed an important national crusade that should be upheld in all districts in order to attain positive results by end of the 12 month timeline. My view is, we could do this alongside other disparaging issues like Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the Karamoja region.

The campaign unveiled by Sarah Opendi, State Minister for Primary Health Care aims at fighting teenage pregnancies so as to cut down the current high maternal mortality rate in Uganda.  We can equally integrate other demoralizing practices; FGM, Child Labour, Child Sacrifices and Child Neglect concerns into the fight.

In particular, the practice of FGM has remained at large among the Tepeth and the Pokot people of Moroto and Amudat districts of Karamoja despite the Anti FGM Act of 2010.

The Act, yes prohibits the practice of FGM, recommends prosecution of offenders and the protection of victims –girls and women. However, the FGM culture seems stronger than this law.

Last week in Moroto district, I witnessed a painful scenario where four young Tepeth girls of ages between 12 to 14 were found injured after suffering a harsh cultural maiming of their female genitals. Thank God Police were quick to respond, and the abusers were easily apprehended.

Perpetrators of such human rights violations take advantage of the destitute conditions that children face in the Karamoja setting.  For the Tepeth and Pokot, the season for harvest is also the time for FGM. They believe the girls would easily be kept in confined places and food provided. Because it is culture, children are just forced to dare with it as long as there is no one looking. These days the practice is done in the hidden and mainly at night hours because the ‘engineers’ are aware of the law, but obdurately insist to do it probably for a living.

As a result, several girl children of school going age and beyond have found their ways out of their homesteads due to fear of the practice. Some end up being trafficked by opportunists into other locations where they are turned into sex slaves, casual labourers and street dwellers.

Actually, the fear of such injurious treatment coupled with other economic difficulties back home defines the constant migration of Karimojong young women and girls into urban streets and across the borders to Kenya. Helpless Karimojong women are commonly seen in the streets of Mbale, Iganga, Kampala, Masindi and in Nasal of North Pokot –Kenya.

According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), about 1,000 girls run away from their homes between 2012 and 2013 to safety centers in designated schools that government recommended in six districts where the practice of FGM were sighted. Such condition makes children lose confidence in life and fail to plan for their future.

The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development and partners like UNFPA, Mifumi among others ensured some dissemination of information and creation of safe havens for FGM victims in Karamoja and neighboring locations since 2010.

The initiative also ensured that close to 70,000 people were touched with information on the FGM law and redress mechanism through drama, outreaches, commemoration of cultural days, exchange visits, trainings and use of role models. Such efforts ought to be strengthened and pinned at the grass root levels to ensure sustainability.

According to the UN World Health Organization, about 150 million women from across the world suffer the harsh consequences of FGM. We are part of this problem; however with a law already in place, we need to double efforts to kick this wickedness out of our Country. We can only do this through a holistic approach where deep-rooted village members from the at risk communities are aboard. Let’s join hands for this Course.  

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MOROTO, WE NEED TO TRY HSGs, OR CONTINUE STATIC FOREVER!

Moroto Municipality.  A thing or two persistently keeps dragging the growth of this principal Karimojong capital backward despite her pedigree.  

For starters; Moroto, Mbale, Arua, Jinja, Soroti, Lira and Gulu were created at about the same period and should ideally be at the same development path. Now as it stands, we can’t believe it because even smaller towns; Mbarara, Fortportal, Masindi, Mubende, Hoima, Luwero, Busia including other ‘microscopic’ trading centers around the Country have come and proceeded far away from our Moroto.

Grotesquely (boy, run for your dictionary), the factors causing this social economic immobility in development are quite easy to fix. In my view, there is need for a Kagame type leadership to ensure a breakthrough. Well, am not saying this should be Rwanda. It remains Uganda. However, a fashionable person wouldn’t hesitate to ask; what the hell is the problem with Moroto? Who is not doing his/her role? It’s Just quite crazy guys.

Today, this heroes’ day, I clutched on such a haunting walk traversing some central streets in Moroto’s liveliest center –Camp Swahili. Plainly speaking, the town still suffers terrible filth despite budget allocations by government and development NGOs in the health and hygiene sector.

Should we say that the funds are wrongly used? I couldn’t agree with a colleague whose observation last year showed that even an international NGO had intervened in a non-realistic fashion. Someone had taken a photo of a dumping pit created by an NGO in an attempt to rid the Municipality of garbage.

It looked really bad because the rubbish was full to beyond capacity and garbage was all over a radius of 10 meters and more from the ‘development innovation’ point. Today, I agree fully with my friend. The dumping pits are now officially swallowed off. You won’t see them again, but instead today, even a blind man can fully visualize that all the ‘innovation points’ have become potential disease breeding areas in the Municipality.

Guess what? If I were in charge of making things change in this town, I would ask all hygiene/sanitation project implementers to direct funds on vehicles and fuel for fetching garbage out of the town. Honestly, we can’t have a dumping ground within the town and near people’s residents! Anyhow, am no engineer but technocrats should advice and give our town a good image.

More useless thing is the presence of ‘human dung’ in several points of this very important town. Terrible and unbearable spots include Labour-line area after hotel D’Andrias. I would give the owners of that new structure opposite the Market an ultimatum. They either complete the structures immediately and allow business or pay security guards to stop members from dumping ‘dung’ all over the place.

Other terrible places are Nakapelimen, Katamukono and Campshaili Chini near Kakoliye Primary school. During Taria sita, I sympathized with Museveni’s soldiers. The UPDF tried their best to fish out smelly garbage out of this town but boy, feaces is not a good thing. I would equally use the military to deal with the unfortunate members the military way. Can’t the army succeed in this disarmament deal too?

The Municipality should alternatively write a Project proposal for the recruitment, training and deployment of hygiene security guards (HSG). Trust me; donors like UNICEF can release funds for such. HSGs would be tasked with identifying and arresting all those who litter or defecate within the town. A strict by-law in place would also see to it that such culprits are arrested, tried and taken to prison. Boy, wouldn’t this be the only way, we might easily redeem our town from the current grime impression?

What should pain civilized men is the fact that free public toilets exist in town! An extreme case is one I witnessed in 2010. It was in Namijimij village, four kilometers outside Moroto Municipality. Friend, the LC1 of that village had turned a public toilet into his office and store; meanwhile members fenced the “office and store” with feaces of all structures. I strongly believe that there is something we can do in order to change this. Can we seek regional advice from Paul Kagame of East Africa’s smartest country -Rwanda? Over to you people who are in the things!

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Moroto Dioeces and the New Bishop

Heaps of Christians from the Catholic assemblage in all corners of Karamoja, and from all angles of

The New Bishop of Moroto Rev. Damiano Giulio Guzzetti at Moroto grounds

Uganda and beyond Saturday gathered in Moroto town to witness and lead the promotion of a priest to a Bishop.  

 

Rev. Damiano Giulio Guzzetti was dunked into the seat of bishop of Moroto Diocese in front of an overwhelming congregation from across most religious and political divide.

 

Key people who matter included Ministers, Members of parliament and other political heads in the Internal Security Sectors and the local council. From the religious sector itself, the Apostolic Nuncio in Uganda Monsignor Michael August Blume was among the several big shots who adorned the occasion.

 

The 55 year old Damiano, is an Italian who spent most moments of his priesthood career in Karamoja. He replaces Rt. Rev. Henry Ssentongo who served Moroto Diocese for two good decades.

A powerful statement from bishop of Tororo Arch Diocese who was principal consecrator. Rt. Rev Dr. Emmanuel Obbo could easily raise eyebrows of committed Christians who are well versed with the politics of the Church.

“You should be a good bishop, pray with people, listen to them, bring out the best in the believers and also, ask them to bring out the best in the church," Obbo appealed to the new Shepard in front of an enchanting crowd at Moroto Boma grounds.

Security was tight; police and the UPDF were fully on gear. The president as usual took advantage of this good number of voters through state minister for Karamoja, Barbra Nekesa Oundo.

A brand new Landcruser was thrown to the new commander of this ‘valued electorates’ and in a statement, the minister observed, “The Karimojong are now the champions in the fight against sectarianism.”

Nekesa equally did not let go the fact that government has achieved hugely in the Karamoja peace, recovery and reconstruction program. She thanked the new bishop for consenting to the backbreaking assignment in Uganda’s most demanding region

A resettlement fund of seven million UGX was also dropped from the wallet of Janet Museveni, the minister for Karamoja to the new Bishop.

Bishop Damiano is the fourth bishop to serve in Moroto diocese. Others where; the late Rt. Rev. Sisto Mazzoldi. Mozzadi was the first bishop of Moroto. He was succeeded by Rt. Rev. Paul Lokiru Kalanda.  Rt. Rev. Henry Ssentongo was therefore the third servant of the diocese.

Next year, Moroto Catholic Diocese will commemorate 50 years of existence. During this distinct occasion, people again from different places will as usual come to celebrate together. It will also be that time when the Christian community would (in the ideal world) do appraisal for the new bishop.

The bad thing about Christianity is the inability to sight the negative facts and easily speak out to avoid poor perceptions by chronic pagans who will always stay out of church because they think the preacher-man is bad.  For the meantime, welcome dear Bishop Damiano!

PROFILE OF THE NEW BISHOP:

Date of Birth: -15th July 1959.

Place of birth: Tulate, Lombardy-Italy.

First Ordination:-23rd September 1989.

Languages:-Italian, Ng'akarimojong and English

Studies.

1983-1985:-Novitiate in Venegono, Italy

1985-1986: English language studies in Dublin, Ireland

1986-1988: Theological studies at St. Mary's National Major seminary Ggaba-Kampala-Uganda

1988-1989: Theological studies in Tangaza college, Nairobi,

Assignments:

1989-1994: In charge of Missionary animation and vocation promotion of the Comboni missionaries in Italy.

1994-2009: Curate at Namalu parish, Naoi parish and later on parish and later on parish priest of Matany parish in Moroto diocese

1999-2002: Member of the provincial council of the Comboni missionaries in Uganda

2009-2013: Formator of postulants in Jinja

2013-2014: Treasurer of Comboni Missionaries community in Venegono, Italy

9/2/2014: Appointed as the new bishop of the diocese of Moroto

24/5/2014: Ordained and installed as Bishop of the diocese of Moroto

 

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GOD, THIS IS NOT TRUE AND YOU KNOW IT!

LORD. This is not true. It is not fair. I cannot hold it. It is too harsh. It’s too painful and; it is too much. I cannot hold it, if am wrong then tell me and teach me. Teach me. Teach me lord. Teach me how to live like a husband. Lord, teach me the good ways of a father. A father whose daughter must look up to. A man, whose faith will never be washed away by whatever forces of this world, I want to be a father whose plans are family plans. Lord, this dream was not true.

Reader, there is a time in our lives when we must admit the truth and seek the almighty his word of advice. I think today, this morning, this 4:30 am moment, is my time. Without hesitating, I admit that my faith, my commitment to the Lord has of recent developed legs. Who will rescue me now?  My faith yes has flown off to the dogs. Who will join me in this urgent Marathon destined to catch up with the hungry, wild dogs? The mongrels have taken away my allotments. My share of the warranted service to my creator. Who will run by me? How shall I get this back?

“It’s good to always pray”, one of my Facebook friends observed just yesterday in a comment to one of my humble posts. I think Bosco’s point is crystal clear. It is pretty right. Humanity ought to observe it and witness it sincerely!

Friend, I have woken up from one of the most aching dreams of my life. Here it is: I placed my Family (wife and daughter) inside an apartment up one of the flats walling a re-known street in that town. It’s a town in the dream whose name didn’t come through anyway.

When I got out for a casual tour of the environment around the Estate, a casual interaction on phone resulted to a small disagreement with my beloved wife. The disagreement was that casual and truly not worth anything that can separate ribs. She did not cry that she will not see me again. In fact, she wanted me back in the room for a quick solution and a clear future plan for the day.

When I turned back to go and meet her, the structures of the building where my angles remained changed. I saw a different building at the spot where my family remained. My eyes could not locate the wall-street where I placed my sweeties. My sister’s (I call my wife sister) mobile was not going through. Surprisingly, I could locate the apartments of my immediate neighbors within the flat. Indeed in this dream, more than five neighbors led me to the location of my own apartment within the flat without success. The dream took me out of this flat. Out to the streets.

Have you ever run all over town looking for the most important thing in your life? I was running looking for my beautiful two. I was looking for the street where the flat and the apartment I left them in was located. Reader, I did’nt locate my friends. My sister and my daughter were out of my reach in this stupid dream. When I woke up, it was 4:30am here in Moroto, and the wall clock was making a seemingly deliberate loud clicking.

At this moment, a common practice of committed faithless creatures dawned on me like an abrupt raindrops in the desert. I rushed down on my knees saying too many words of prayer to the man I seem to be relaxed to always give prays. After begging him in some quick melodic words, I remembered an old Bible my sister used to read when she had a stomach. She had left it behind (for me in our house) when she joined Campus.

Here I read: “When the Lord brought us back from Jerusalem, it was like a dream. How we laughed, how we sang for joy! Then the other nations said about us, “the Lord did great things for them” indeed he did great things for us, how happy we were! Lord make us prosperous again, just as the rain brings water back to the dry riverbeds. Let those who wept as they planted their crops gather their harvest with joy!” Psalms 126.

The quote is from my sister’s old Bible.  I will buy a new Bible for our home today.  Already, we’ve agreed on this via a phone discussion where this threatening dream was topic. My wife is happy for me on the spiritual plan. She is regretting and cursing the dream, and we are looking for a spiritual advisor and family mentor. Where should we find one at no fee within this world?

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Obonyo - Jabwor and Omwony Ojwok in Abim; Their Life Wallets

The Ethur people in Abim district today, this Sabbath gathered to painfully, prayerfully and peacefully lower the body of their fallen national political trailblazer Hon. Clement Henry Obonyo Jabwor.  The former MP who acceded to respiratory failure on 10^th May at Mulago hospital will be buried in Kiru, his ancestral village.

Navigating from the sidelines of this antique phenomenon, this blog takes the pallbearers and exterior observers through the content of Mr. Obonyo’s life folder and that of another great Athur – the late Hon. Omwony Ojwok. 

The duo whose names fall among the greatest Ethur who existed in recent times completed their final journey home, but left behind historical landmarks that will continue speaking and sparkling for generations.

Born since the eighth day of April 1944, Mr. Obonyo attended colonial primary education between 1952 to 1960.  He advanced to Sir Samuel Baker Secondary School in northern Uganda’s Gulu district and proceeded to Nairobi University in Kenya for a bachelor of Commerce degree from 1967 to 1969.

His home nick-name, ‘Jabwor’ was given to Obonyo because of his reputation, amity, adoration and trust he demonstrated among his people of Abim district. Accordingly, such self-restraint worn for the deceased leadership trust by the Jabwor people. He was voted in parliament between 1980 and 1985. A former minister, Mr. Obonyo also worked in the UK as a Revenue Accountant between 1976 and 1978.

According to most Ethur people (especially elders); Mr. Obonyo is one leader who maintained a life of discipline until death. He never segregated his people. He never played his political baton bearers against each other like is common a practice among most political elders in this Country. In this way, Obonyo remained a neutral political advisor to every ambitious leader in Abim district.

Indeed, in a media interview with The Daily Monitor newspaper, Labwor County MP, Michael Ayepa testified how the deceased played a central role in mentoring and guiding him to lead the people. Ethur and Ugandans who knew Obonyo are sure to have their minds reverberate for centuries with the self and public respect, nonpartisan leadership skills the elder exhibited till death. As his body settles below the ground today, let’s pray he rests in absolute peace in the new world. 

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On the other hand, no true Athur, no true Karimojong and no true Ugandan and Pan-Africanist will forget Obonyo’s young ‘brother’, the late Hon. John Omwony Ojwok. Like “Madiba” and like ‘Jabwor’, Ojwok’s home name is ‘Ajoo’

Born on 1^st June, 1947, Omwony Ojwok remains a legend in Uganda and Africa. A two times political exilee, Omwony went to Morulem Boys’ Primary School in Abim district and, Lacor Junior seminary in Gulu. He studied at St Mary’s college Kisubi for ‘O’ level before joining Ntare School where he met president Yoweri Museveni and Eriya Kategaya in A’ level.

Omwony further studied at Wauwatosa East High School in Wisconsin, USA, under an exchange programme. He also studied and graduated from Makerere University with a bachelor of law degree in 1972.

He lectured in more than 10 universities across the world, including the distinguished Oxford University in the UK, and several universities in Toronto (Canada), Nairobi (Kenya) and Dar es-Salaam (Tanzania).

Omwony first went into exile in 1970 after a clash with Idi Amin over a press release he issued condemning the killing of two foreign journalists in Mbarara. He fled to Switzerland, where he pursued a Masters Degree in International Relations. He also did a Masters in Law, specialising in Third World Investments.

In 1978, Omwony abandoned his PhD studies at the University of Geneva and relocated to Tanzania where he alongside three other comrades; Edward Rugumayo, Dan Nabudere and Yash Tandon organised the Moshi conference in 1979, which brought together anti-Amin forces.

Before he died in 2007, Omwony also served as Director Uganda AIDS Commission (1994-1999), Minister for Northern Rehabilitation (1999-2001) and State Minister for Economic Monitoring (2001-2007).

For the people of Abim, a big vacuum remains to be filled. We are a small group, but our visions are in-depth. Today as we burry Hon. Obonyo, may we ponder and re-think critically on the way of refilling these gaps. The two Ethur Heros are a typical demonstration that education is the key to social, political, cultural and economic development. The task is now on the youth to embrace school and emulate these two fallen elders.  May they pray for Ethur from their decent graves.

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Did You Know That Gorillas Could Have Burnt Moroto Town?

The fire outbreak that brought-down several timber cottages in Moroto Municipality last week should send a message to authorities.  The message that the world is moving forward and ‘city’ centers shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Can they authorize reasonable developers to take up these spots, plots and ensure credible structures with plans approved by municipal engineers replace the wooden shacks currently dominating this street? Apparently, occupants of the burnt structures are mere business gamblers and they built hovels with rotten wood in a prime land at the heart of town.

Apart from the fact that these temporal and crowded wooden kiosks make the town really look clumzy, they are also hideouts for some very devious characters. Criminals, idlers and committed drug addicts hibernate in these places. Most of these goons play a role or two to the masquerading venders who seemingly claim ownership of these places.
 

For starters, these Country dwellers are most times behind such mysterious fires. We have seen such before. We have seen several times in St Balikudembe (Owino) market in Kampala. We have heard a lot of it in schools; and with innocent children dying in some. Normally, the people behind such fires never get caught. Why? Because they are unbelievable! How can you hold an insane man accountable for instance? In the end, investigators simply zero their findings to something far away from the truth; -just for purposes of producing the required report by a fellow relaxed government authority taxed to inquire, period!

Another terrible group that should be checked right away are the electricity power thieves. They will kill us all if our eyes are closed. About a fortnight ago in Matany Sub County, Napak District, the UMEME guys cut off electricity power connection because of this group. It emerged that some three wise men from Bugishu-land were earning a living out of power ‘theft by wisdom’. They would charge a paltry amount and fix the consumers on free power lines.
 

The three would simply throw a connection up the main live wire without bondage to any power measuring gadget. They got popular and rich within a month as people would now contact them (not UMEME) when their paid units got done. Thus, several illegal-risky connections were commonplace in Matany ‘town board’ until UMEME people discovered that most meters were actually not running, yet everyone had power. They accordingly cut off connections to Matany until the three wise men were identified, threatened and advised.

 

Back to Moroto and to Camp Swahili where the fire sampled the Kiosks. Who knows if the Kiosks’ managers were not applying skills of the three wise men to tap free power. Let’s ask ourselves a simple question. What kind of structures does UMEME recommend for electricity power connection and do they do the wiring of structures by themselves? Apparently, most of the Shacks that got burnt had electricity. Most of them are normally flooded badly when rain falls but they also had naked wire connections. Boy, wouldn’t this equally be a possibility for mysterious burning?

In my view, the Municipal council should now wake up from sleep and chat a quick, prudent, workable and strict development way forward for the Municipality. They can get a loan from Centenary Bank to develop such mismanaged plots. This would earn reasonable revenue. Alternatively, lease out these plots to serious developers and set a timeline for them to put up smart structures whose plans are approved by the municipal engineer. This would help shut up the shacks idlers and save the town from risks of losing innocent lives and property. Anyway this is my own opinion, - over to you people who matter.

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