Friday, May 11, 2012
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.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
FOOD HUNTING IN THE TEPETH LAND AT THE BORDER
Where else can we get food if not from this very hard soil? This is the question I envision as would come from my mouth if I were one of the hundreds of Tepeth people living atop Mt. Moroto at the delicate border of Uganda and Kenya.
At the level of learnt people (Ugandans), the debate about the plight of the Karimojong just cannot end. The difficulty results from stinging poverty as measured mainly by the level of hunger. The arguments of intellectuals about this.... I staggered with one on facebook the other day until I don’t know...
As I plot a route to Adulai village someplace in the corners of rocks up the Moroto Mountains; deep emotions fill me. This is caused by the painful sight of young things struggling with life in this isolated spot of the world. The sight reminds me of Lokito, the little boy I met in Napakakimul village last November. Lokito like I narrated to girl friend then; wore nothing to cover his skin but had a fat bundle of firewood on top of his frail head.
His story is: Lokito stays with a deaf, blind, crippled grandma. This is too much...it sounds like an exaggeration but true. Very true. I rejected the info until a stopover at the corner where Lokito and old Nakolong subsist.
Lokito does the cooking, hunt for water, tilling the rocks to grow some sorghum... He has no house, but struggles to thatch cabin where the old thing sleeps. About links of this family, I never got transparency and cannot have it on pen and paper. The only believable chapter says the Turkana people of Kenya in a revenge attack killed 15 people same night in the homestead that was. The incident happened close to a decade ago. Baby Lokito and old, deaf, blind, crippled Nakolong were left, for they could add no point to the revenge project. End of the recollection.
Back to Adulai, The young girl struggling with the weight of a hoe is Nadiim Achuuka. She is young for that work but she has to do it in order to be able to eat. The Tepeth people have fertile soil with fair vegetation coverage but the rain is unpredictable. It can come and go away when it likes and the crops will dry. When heavy long down pour is achieved, the crops are swept away. Look at that background...looks good for agriculture, but the Tepeth have never had food.
NGOs and government agencies like NAADS work here. They put effort and double effort but tomorrow the Tepeth will again go die in Kenya because they need food. Some analysts now say building the capacity of the people on crop growing is the way to go. But will the Tepeth grow crops on rocks? How about the water erosion? We probably need a multibillion dollar project to straighten things for the Tepeth and the Karamoja people at large. But most importantly these people’s voices are not hard. Leaders?
Somehow when you are here, here in this Adulai route, you can deem that the decentralisation policy and the splitting up of the Country into small pieces as Mr. Museveni is doing might create some difference. Just some difference I say. I simply just say. A mere statement.
Ok, you might think a leader for the people of Adulai, one for the people of Didi, another for those people of Nauut in Tepeth-land; or separate ones for the people of Lokali, of Kalapata in Dodoth-land; or independent ones for the community of Toyepetoto, Nailikonyen in Bokora could be helpful for them in parliament. Other communities in villages like Losimit, Sakaale in Pien including the villagers of Kadaam and Loroo in Upe could be heard crying too!
But when we get to know book, we tend to have intellectual forces. Intellectual forces cannot allow us agree on one theory. When one person designs a strategy, other brain workers will first critic it. They’ll strive hard to find more weaknesses and limit the projected advantages. This discourages the ‘trial and error’ method that experience says is the reason for success of most scientists in the world of physics. Mine is prayers what about you?
At the level of learnt people (Ugandans), the debate about the plight of the Karimojong just cannot end. The difficulty results from stinging poverty as measured mainly by the level of hunger. The arguments of intellectuals about this.... I staggered with one on facebook the other day until I don’t know...
As I plot a route to Adulai village someplace in the corners of rocks up the Moroto Mountains; deep emotions fill me. This is caused by the painful sight of young things struggling with life in this isolated spot of the world. The sight reminds me of Lokito, the little boy I met in Napakakimul village last November. Lokito like I narrated to girl friend then; wore nothing to cover his skin but had a fat bundle of firewood on top of his frail head.
His story is: Lokito stays with a deaf, blind, crippled grandma. This is too much...it sounds like an exaggeration but true. Very true. I rejected the info until a stopover at the corner where Lokito and old Nakolong subsist.
Lokito does the cooking, hunt for water, tilling the rocks to grow some sorghum... He has no house, but struggles to thatch cabin where the old thing sleeps. About links of this family, I never got transparency and cannot have it on pen and paper. The only believable chapter says the Turkana people of Kenya in a revenge attack killed 15 people same night in the homestead that was. The incident happened close to a decade ago. Baby Lokito and old, deaf, blind, crippled Nakolong were left, for they could add no point to the revenge project. End of the recollection.
Back to Adulai, The young girl struggling with the weight of a hoe is Nadiim Achuuka. She is young for that work but she has to do it in order to be able to eat. The Tepeth people have fertile soil with fair vegetation coverage but the rain is unpredictable. It can come and go away when it likes and the crops will dry. When heavy long down pour is achieved, the crops are swept away. Look at that background...looks good for agriculture, but the Tepeth have never had food.
NGOs and government agencies like NAADS work here. They put effort and double effort but tomorrow the Tepeth will again go die in Kenya because they need food. Some analysts now say building the capacity of the people on crop growing is the way to go. But will the Tepeth grow crops on rocks? How about the water erosion? We probably need a multibillion dollar project to straighten things for the Tepeth and the Karamoja people at large. But most importantly these people’s voices are not hard. Leaders?
Somehow when you are here, here in this Adulai route, you can deem that the decentralisation policy and the splitting up of the Country into small pieces as Mr. Museveni is doing might create some difference. Just some difference I say. I simply just say. A mere statement.
Ok, you might think a leader for the people of Adulai, one for the people of Didi, another for those people of Nauut in Tepeth-land; or separate ones for the people of Lokali, of Kalapata in Dodoth-land; or independent ones for the community of Toyepetoto, Nailikonyen in Bokora could be helpful for them in parliament. Other communities in villages like Losimit, Sakaale in Pien including the villagers of Kadaam and Loroo in Upe could be heard crying too!
But when we get to know book, we tend to have intellectual forces. Intellectual forces cannot allow us agree on one theory. When one person designs a strategy, other brain workers will first critic it. They’ll strive hard to find more weaknesses and limit the projected advantages. This discourages the ‘trial and error’ method that experience says is the reason for success of most scientists in the world of physics. Mine is prayers what about you?
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
THE DEATH OF A LOCAL MAN OF SCIENCE
Morris Xavier Owona, Teacher at Moroto PTC
Morris died after anguish from scores of illnesses. He had his kidney shattered. His liver devastated. His lung smoked off. He could have died because - liquor his long time friend became a foe at long last.
He smoked cigarette since childhood and drunk a sea of pungent fluids like he created it. Yet, he taught like a preacher-man against the same drugs. But he also knew health science like he could never touch spirit.
Now he is gone because he could not practice what he really preached, so to speak. The science he taught is commonplace in Karamoja, other beneficiaries took it to Teso and some let it reach Bugishu. I think some seeds could have scattered to other parts of Uganda. Who knows, people traverse the world with their knowledge. But Morris is no more.
In my view, he is not to blame. I condemn the convolution of things in this world. One would slam God for creating such a world where knowledge and thoughts sometimes fail to work as a team. But to blame God is to lobby for a free ticket to enter the kingdom of Satan. Yes, we all know that God is the omnipotent. We cannot blame the omnipotent! So who do we blame?
In his last days, Morris talked a lot about life in the past and in the contemporary. He did oodles of comparative analysis about the two worlds. He certainly needed a chance to stay alive again and teach the world better. But God denied him the opportunity. Ok, God knows better.
I sat and talked with him many things. I didn’t ask him questions, but he put many to me. He challenged me on the way of life. He hated the young of this generation who abused alcohol and called them “a shame of the age”. He didn’t want to talk about his own video with the same drink because he had stopped shooting it completely.
His enemies called Morris a mad drunkard. Some referred to him as an indisciplined teacher. Others said he was a naughty, arrogant dirty character. While several others didn’t care about his lifestyle and only looked down upon him...just like a child whose age probably is the problem. But Morris was an adult in his middle 50s. Ok:
His friends will miss him for his generosity. Like most Karimojong people he believed in sharing and always wanted to be with a companion while on a lunch table. He also valued constructive debate especially on intellectual topics and this was only constructive when he is sober any way.
He was quick at recommending young eloquent debaters for political contests. He called the current MP for Labwor County, “a man with a long vision but with a personality that needs scrubbing a little from the inside of him”. He said Mr Ayepa had a small heart.
He argued that people with small hearts cannot repress emotions for long. “They are hot tempered” he roared. I tried challenging him that hot temper can be for the good or for the worse and that Hon. Michael’s temper is actually for the public good. But Morris won the debate. He said “electorates will not analyse you like academicians. They’ll use one scanty scenario, magnify it and political opportunists will use it against you for selfish gains”. The bottom-line, I liked his brain. He even knew his complications as a bedridden man. He probably even knew that he would go. He was intelligent.
My very last moments with Morris was at his college home in Moroto. I played for him South African music of the apartheid age. He loved it so much. I also played some older songs from the Congo, Tanzania and Kenya. He said the songs would take him back to the 70s when he used to play football as a student. Songs of Vvon Shaka Shaka and other African artists of the 90s also dug old memories from his head.
Now he is gone, as this sentence comes to an end, let me play some more of these South African songs just to make me remember Morris’s last words for the youth of today and tomorrow. May his soul rest in perpetual peace.
Morris died after anguish from scores of illnesses. He had his kidney shattered. His liver devastated. His lung smoked off. He could have died because - liquor his long time friend became a foe at long last.
He smoked cigarette since childhood and drunk a sea of pungent fluids like he created it. Yet, he taught like a preacher-man against the same drugs. But he also knew health science like he could never touch spirit.
Now he is gone because he could not practice what he really preached, so to speak. The science he taught is commonplace in Karamoja, other beneficiaries took it to Teso and some let it reach Bugishu. I think some seeds could have scattered to other parts of Uganda. Who knows, people traverse the world with their knowledge. But Morris is no more.
In my view, he is not to blame. I condemn the convolution of things in this world. One would slam God for creating such a world where knowledge and thoughts sometimes fail to work as a team. But to blame God is to lobby for a free ticket to enter the kingdom of Satan. Yes, we all know that God is the omnipotent. We cannot blame the omnipotent! So who do we blame?
In his last days, Morris talked a lot about life in the past and in the contemporary. He did oodles of comparative analysis about the two worlds. He certainly needed a chance to stay alive again and teach the world better. But God denied him the opportunity. Ok, God knows better.
I sat and talked with him many things. I didn’t ask him questions, but he put many to me. He challenged me on the way of life. He hated the young of this generation who abused alcohol and called them “a shame of the age”. He didn’t want to talk about his own video with the same drink because he had stopped shooting it completely.
His enemies called Morris a mad drunkard. Some referred to him as an indisciplined teacher. Others said he was a naughty, arrogant dirty character. While several others didn’t care about his lifestyle and only looked down upon him...just like a child whose age probably is the problem. But Morris was an adult in his middle 50s. Ok:
His friends will miss him for his generosity. Like most Karimojong people he believed in sharing and always wanted to be with a companion while on a lunch table. He also valued constructive debate especially on intellectual topics and this was only constructive when he is sober any way.
He was quick at recommending young eloquent debaters for political contests. He called the current MP for Labwor County, “a man with a long vision but with a personality that needs scrubbing a little from the inside of him”. He said Mr Ayepa had a small heart.
He argued that people with small hearts cannot repress emotions for long. “They are hot tempered” he roared. I tried challenging him that hot temper can be for the good or for the worse and that Hon. Michael’s temper is actually for the public good. But Morris won the debate. He said “electorates will not analyse you like academicians. They’ll use one scanty scenario, magnify it and political opportunists will use it against you for selfish gains”. The bottom-line, I liked his brain. He even knew his complications as a bedridden man. He probably even knew that he would go. He was intelligent.
My very last moments with Morris was at his college home in Moroto. I played for him South African music of the apartheid age. He loved it so much. I also played some older songs from the Congo, Tanzania and Kenya. He said the songs would take him back to the 70s when he used to play football as a student. Songs of Vvon Shaka Shaka and other African artists of the 90s also dug old memories from his head.
Now he is gone, as this sentence comes to an end, let me play some more of these South African songs just to make me remember Morris’s last words for the youth of today and tomorrow. May his soul rest in perpetual peace.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
JOINING EAC IS GOOD FOR SOUTH SUDAN AFTER A TIME
After attaining the much needed autonomy from Omar Albarshir’s north Sudan just last year, South Sudan has, gradually continued to crave for more opportunities that can augment her social, political and economic growth now as a standalone nation. One of such opportunities is to join the regional consortium - the East African Community(EAC) which currently comprises five nations; Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi.
For a juvenile state of South Sudan’s stature, this is a good move, but it is very fundamental for the actors involved in the bargain to cautiously consider in equal terms, the political and economic ramification of joining the bloc at the moment.
Yes, there are some benefits in the offing: The geopolitical placement of South Sudan alone can improve the cards for herself and other members in and around East Africa. Indeed; Ethiopia, North Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo consider South Sudan as a prosperous destination with raw materials for political and economic strength in the East African corridor.
This set-up would make Government of South Sudan (GOSS) the protagonist in the play for regional balance on the East African soil, thus, giving the new state a big chance for political and economic bulge in the region if they joined the bloc.
GOSS would also harness the chance for early maturity in democracy and good governance before power starts corrupting its current holders in Juba. Today the leadership of Salva Kirr Mayardit is still viewed largely by ordinary southern Sudanese as saviours, just like that of Museveni after the 1986 breakthrough in Uganda, or that of Mugabe and his Zimbabwe in 1980. Therefore, the immediate joining of the regional bloc is an asset that can enable early political counselling by EAC member states for GOSS to follow the right democratic path so as to avoid future internal power struggles that might tear the country asunder.
For specific EAC member states like Uganda, the entry of South Sudan would clear the clouds of war especially the northern Uganda mystery epitomised by the spiritual war Lord Joseph Kony. The fugitive has in the past used the jungles in southern Sudan with support from his fellow criminal Omar Al Bashir of the “Arab Sudan” to cause atrocities in Uganda and Southern Sudan. But the teamwork of the SPLM and the UPDF contributed hugely to the shrinking of Kony’s project in the two countries. Such teamwork can be sustainable with the admission of South Sudan in the EAF.
As for Kenya; opening the door for South Sudan is another window of opportunity for the East Africa’s economic giant to reap big and compete at continental level. Already, Kenya has scooped over $5 billion of the new investments like the construction of a 1,400 kilometre oil pipeline linking Juba to Lamu port, the construction of an oil refinery and seaport in Lamu itself and the building of Mombasa –Kampala rail line.
Kenya and Uganda are also twin beneficiaries of the agro-based products and raw materials sold in the South Sudan market. Economically, this is also good for GOSS only if the governments of the former countries really become transparent enough, otherwise GOSS should take time, think carefully, and bargain carefully before joining the bloc.
I believe the best case scenario for forming trading blocs is having equal economic strengths, and south Sudan is of great disadvantage here. The country still needs to organise herself internally by strengthening the economic and political systems before thinking of merging with her better developed neighbours. Otherwise, she might in the long run suffer most from unilateral demands by some of her fairly developed neighbours.
For instance, in 2010 at the height of the European Union (EU) and the East African Economic partnership (EAC -EPA) negotiations, Kenya threatened to break lines with EAC if it rejected signing the treaty with the EU, thus forcing members to do things involuntarily. Such pressures from powerful states can be dangerous on smaller nations.
Another tricky thing that South Sudan needs to put into perspective is the way of dealing with north Sudan leader Omar Al Bar-shirr who is wanted by the ICC for allegations of committing crimes against humanity in the Darfur region and other parts of South Sudan.
Do all East African heads recognise that Bashir should be sidelined, and are they able to apply economic and political sanctions on Khartoum for her continued intimidation and assault on southern Sudanese people? This is important because AU leaders last year surprised the world by defending Bashir from the arm of the ICC. If this cooperation is lacking, then it is useless for south Sudan to join EAC now. The bottom-line: GOSS needs good time to sort out itself before any plan B.
For a juvenile state of South Sudan’s stature, this is a good move, but it is very fundamental for the actors involved in the bargain to cautiously consider in equal terms, the political and economic ramification of joining the bloc at the moment.
Yes, there are some benefits in the offing: The geopolitical placement of South Sudan alone can improve the cards for herself and other members in and around East Africa. Indeed; Ethiopia, North Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo consider South Sudan as a prosperous destination with raw materials for political and economic strength in the East African corridor.
This set-up would make Government of South Sudan (GOSS) the protagonist in the play for regional balance on the East African soil, thus, giving the new state a big chance for political and economic bulge in the region if they joined the bloc.
GOSS would also harness the chance for early maturity in democracy and good governance before power starts corrupting its current holders in Juba. Today the leadership of Salva Kirr Mayardit is still viewed largely by ordinary southern Sudanese as saviours, just like that of Museveni after the 1986 breakthrough in Uganda, or that of Mugabe and his Zimbabwe in 1980. Therefore, the immediate joining of the regional bloc is an asset that can enable early political counselling by EAC member states for GOSS to follow the right democratic path so as to avoid future internal power struggles that might tear the country asunder.
For specific EAC member states like Uganda, the entry of South Sudan would clear the clouds of war especially the northern Uganda mystery epitomised by the spiritual war Lord Joseph Kony. The fugitive has in the past used the jungles in southern Sudan with support from his fellow criminal Omar Al Bashir of the “Arab Sudan” to cause atrocities in Uganda and Southern Sudan. But the teamwork of the SPLM and the UPDF contributed hugely to the shrinking of Kony’s project in the two countries. Such teamwork can be sustainable with the admission of South Sudan in the EAF.
As for Kenya; opening the door for South Sudan is another window of opportunity for the East Africa’s economic giant to reap big and compete at continental level. Already, Kenya has scooped over $5 billion of the new investments like the construction of a 1,400 kilometre oil pipeline linking Juba to Lamu port, the construction of an oil refinery and seaport in Lamu itself and the building of Mombasa –Kampala rail line.
Kenya and Uganda are also twin beneficiaries of the agro-based products and raw materials sold in the South Sudan market. Economically, this is also good for GOSS only if the governments of the former countries really become transparent enough, otherwise GOSS should take time, think carefully, and bargain carefully before joining the bloc.
I believe the best case scenario for forming trading blocs is having equal economic strengths, and south Sudan is of great disadvantage here. The country still needs to organise herself internally by strengthening the economic and political systems before thinking of merging with her better developed neighbours. Otherwise, she might in the long run suffer most from unilateral demands by some of her fairly developed neighbours.
For instance, in 2010 at the height of the European Union (EU) and the East African Economic partnership (EAC -EPA) negotiations, Kenya threatened to break lines with EAC if it rejected signing the treaty with the EU, thus forcing members to do things involuntarily. Such pressures from powerful states can be dangerous on smaller nations.
Another tricky thing that South Sudan needs to put into perspective is the way of dealing with north Sudan leader Omar Al Bar-shirr who is wanted by the ICC for allegations of committing crimes against humanity in the Darfur region and other parts of South Sudan.
Do all East African heads recognise that Bashir should be sidelined, and are they able to apply economic and political sanctions on Khartoum for her continued intimidation and assault on southern Sudanese people? This is important because AU leaders last year surprised the world by defending Bashir from the arm of the ICC. If this cooperation is lacking, then it is useless for south Sudan to join EAC now. The bottom-line: GOSS needs good time to sort out itself before any plan B.
Friday, April 13, 2012
KAABONG AFTER 23 IN YEARS.
KAABONG AGAIN. The year was 1989 –I confirmed this time through a brief ring to mommy who is over 100+ kilometres away in sweet Morulem, Abim district. Gifted indeed by nature, Kaabong district in Karamoja region is where I spent my preschooler days until 1989 when the family had to move closer to the birth place of mom and dad in Abim.
Today am here again, God! I can’t even remember a thing in this place. How time runs, mom on phone asks me to go see Komukuny girls’ primary school, where she used to teach and Komukuny boys’ where daddy was second to the head teacher then. I visited Kaabong Secondary and, - boy; all is beauty – the packed rocks done by God, yet looks like man’s handiwork. A Bududa man would live here on constant heart break, but here- naught, the earth is tacked in Karamoja.
Situated in the middle of squatting rocks, kaabong town has just about four streets; Main Street, campswahili road and some nameless ones. Oh.... but you can’t easily visualise these roads because good structures are yet to be born.
The best accommodation for you diplomat visiting Kaabong district is Memabo Lodge and restaurant located at the centre of town.I took the trouble to engage Mike Mudi the proprietor of Memabo into some non-formal interview for some 180 seconds. Friend, talking to people is such a good! Even to strangers, some can show you a greening line in life.
Out of the blue, I discovered that Mr. Mudi actually knows daddy. Muddi was head prefect in Kaabong S.S, 1988 when Ben my dad was deputy head teacher Kom boys’ and also part-time coach of the English language subject at the secondary school.
A robust engineer, credulous of the availability of funds would cause lots of cries and mourning for land owners in a bid to re-organise the town council of Kaabong. Am not implying that the town is disorganised and needs to be sorted out, I just think a civil engineer whose head has a clear picture of a fairly ideal town in the contemporary world would think of opening up more streets that might crash down most houses and other old style property in Kaabong town
Nonetheless, am joyous to be back again here in this small town that my family lived in 23years ago when I was a mere toddler. I can visualise some young beautiful ladies also decorating the dusty town. Wait! Am not just being funny or womanising in this statement –no! A man who is not interested in ladies is not normal...am just being normal.
The only injustice I can see is that imposed on the town by Kampala just like many other juvenile towns across the country. Despite the gold deposit, the famous Kidepo National Park, the beautiful scenery and the presence of a unique iik tribe that have attracted tourists to this part of the world, things have not changed.
Amin’s Kampala would simply say UNRA, I want a tarmac road from Lira to Kidepo and the road would be there the next day. Or Ministry of energy, I want electricity power in Kaabong so we can employ modern technology to exploit the gold deposit in that district and it would be straight there.
But let’s pray for the best tomorrow. End of a one day’s quick refreshing visit to dodoth land, bye-bye KAABONG.
Today am here again, God! I can’t even remember a thing in this place. How time runs, mom on phone asks me to go see Komukuny girls’ primary school, where she used to teach and Komukuny boys’ where daddy was second to the head teacher then. I visited Kaabong Secondary and, - boy; all is beauty – the packed rocks done by God, yet looks like man’s handiwork. A Bududa man would live here on constant heart break, but here- naught, the earth is tacked in Karamoja.
Situated in the middle of squatting rocks, kaabong town has just about four streets; Main Street, campswahili road and some nameless ones. Oh.... but you can’t easily visualise these roads because good structures are yet to be born.
The best accommodation for you diplomat visiting Kaabong district is Memabo Lodge and restaurant located at the centre of town.I took the trouble to engage Mike Mudi the proprietor of Memabo into some non-formal interview for some 180 seconds. Friend, talking to people is such a good! Even to strangers, some can show you a greening line in life.
Out of the blue, I discovered that Mr. Mudi actually knows daddy. Muddi was head prefect in Kaabong S.S, 1988 when Ben my dad was deputy head teacher Kom boys’ and also part-time coach of the English language subject at the secondary school.
A robust engineer, credulous of the availability of funds would cause lots of cries and mourning for land owners in a bid to re-organise the town council of Kaabong. Am not implying that the town is disorganised and needs to be sorted out, I just think a civil engineer whose head has a clear picture of a fairly ideal town in the contemporary world would think of opening up more streets that might crash down most houses and other old style property in Kaabong town
Nonetheless, am joyous to be back again here in this small town that my family lived in 23years ago when I was a mere toddler. I can visualise some young beautiful ladies also decorating the dusty town. Wait! Am not just being funny or womanising in this statement –no! A man who is not interested in ladies is not normal...am just being normal.
The only injustice I can see is that imposed on the town by Kampala just like many other juvenile towns across the country. Despite the gold deposit, the famous Kidepo National Park, the beautiful scenery and the presence of a unique iik tribe that have attracted tourists to this part of the world, things have not changed.
Amin’s Kampala would simply say UNRA, I want a tarmac road from Lira to Kidepo and the road would be there the next day. Or Ministry of energy, I want electricity power in Kaabong so we can employ modern technology to exploit the gold deposit in that district and it would be straight there.
But let’s pray for the best tomorrow. End of a one day’s quick refreshing visit to dodoth land, bye-bye KAABONG.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
20 ARMED WARRIORS SIGHTED ALONG TAPAC ROAD, ROBBED ONE PERSON
A group of heavily armed warriors were sighted along Tapac road on the morning of Friday 24/2/2012. The warriors who were over 20 in number -all with guns, were seen at about 11:00am in a location of about 3 KMs away from Tapac Junction.
They were seen by the DRC/DDG field workers who were heading to Katikekile parish to conduct a dialogue meeting between the Community and Security providers (UPDF).
The suspected thugs, who were following the road heading to Moroto side, scattered off into the jungle immediately on seeing the NGO vehicle. The vehicle moved on slowly and proceeded since it was too abrupt and there was no more space and time to turn and drive back.
However, half of an hour after the incident, a boda-boda businessman who was from Moroto town riding to Tapac following the DDG car was reportedly stopped by the gang and robbed off his merchandise before setting him free.
Another NGO worker of Warrior Squared Foundation who was also following riding a motorcycle survived the attack as the army had already learnt of the gangs and were following them up. The Warrior Squared worker was alerted by the UPDF.
This incident comes hardly a week after Two armed warriors (two men, both had guns) were sighted at the first river after Kodonyo junction still in Moroto at 3: 30 PM. The gunmen jumped off the road into the bush on seeing a DDG staff that was coming from Tapac riding a motorcycle. This was on Thursday 16/2/2012.
The same gang was also cited by a boda boda man coming from the same direction. The warriors, according to the cyclist stopped in the middle of the road and when he (the boda man) also stopped, they slide off in the bush before the riders sped off crossing the river with a lot of terror. This case was reported to the army detach in Musas.
The latest information coming from the UPDF in Tapac detach indicates that one of the warriors who were actually three in number was apprehended and is under investigations currently.
This thus, is a caution to the NGO workers and other travellers; business people and tourists to be on the alert while travelling on Tapac road. This season is that of nomads searching for burnt grass and animals to be raided. They can be injurious to the innocent road users any time!
They were seen by the DRC/DDG field workers who were heading to Katikekile parish to conduct a dialogue meeting between the Community and Security providers (UPDF).
The suspected thugs, who were following the road heading to Moroto side, scattered off into the jungle immediately on seeing the NGO vehicle. The vehicle moved on slowly and proceeded since it was too abrupt and there was no more space and time to turn and drive back.
However, half of an hour after the incident, a boda-boda businessman who was from Moroto town riding to Tapac following the DDG car was reportedly stopped by the gang and robbed off his merchandise before setting him free.
Another NGO worker of Warrior Squared Foundation who was also following riding a motorcycle survived the attack as the army had already learnt of the gangs and were following them up. The Warrior Squared worker was alerted by the UPDF.
This incident comes hardly a week after Two armed warriors (two men, both had guns) were sighted at the first river after Kodonyo junction still in Moroto at 3: 30 PM. The gunmen jumped off the road into the bush on seeing a DDG staff that was coming from Tapac riding a motorcycle. This was on Thursday 16/2/2012.
The same gang was also cited by a boda boda man coming from the same direction. The warriors, according to the cyclist stopped in the middle of the road and when he (the boda man) also stopped, they slide off in the bush before the riders sped off crossing the river with a lot of terror. This case was reported to the army detach in Musas.
The latest information coming from the UPDF in Tapac detach indicates that one of the warriors who were actually three in number was apprehended and is under investigations currently.
This thus, is a caution to the NGO workers and other travellers; business people and tourists to be on the alert while travelling on Tapac road. This season is that of nomads searching for burnt grass and animals to be raided. They can be injurious to the innocent road users any time!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
FRIDAY, THE MAGIC DAY
I have a friend who owns this day. Simon owns Fridays. He sees it, feels it, smells it come with love, if the twelfth month of a year was the sixth day of the week, then Simon’s Christmas celebrations would be there every week. He tells me the day is purely for thorough happiness...I hope so.
People are so early as usual for work! No hangover?...I think yesterday wasn’t any big day in Uganda. Not significant at all because if it were like Independence Day, Christmas, the 1st of Januaries etc people would have hangovers and a day like this would be lazy. Why? Because Ugandans love to drink, to party, to dance etc. Again, I hope the 26th day of Januaries since 1986 is a considerable one to Ugandans.
5:30PM and the tour starts; as usual with my 2x2 Chinese wheel ride. When you are in Moroto, two places are popular for being well populated and cosmopolitan if you need.
These are; Campswahili and Kakoliye; My destination for today is Kakolye although I dissect Campshwahili to get there, my interest is on Kakolye.
There is a small market-like place in Kakolye called Nabatua. If you are keen like I am, you will discover very unique things here. From the Turkana men and women eating 100% raw meat to the bad boys haggling for weed. From drunken mothers galloping more local brew, to hungry children gathering little drops of food that their eyes can see.
The most interesting thing about Nabatua is again its location...near the seasonal river bank; the place is too dirty, so dirty that the stench of the human droppings overshadows that of the meat being smoked. But wait! This is Karamoja, other places are still waiting for us...we need to take one journey to development, Amen.
My time at home is here, and I change to high speed gear. After 10 mins, am home again. Water should be first, supper and coffee then to this wooden table where I start to chew the cards as my INSPIRON takes charge of digestion.
Trust me, tonight I will take early rest and rest longer because tomorrow belongs to me alone. It’s a one man’s weekend and office can wait till Monday. So I’ll just watch, read and listen to local, national and global news. I will not give it to INSPIRON mini. I’ll make a comprehensive amalgamation on Sabbath day.
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