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.

 www.owiny.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

SIX KARAMOJA MPs USE THEIR LIPS FOR WRONG JOB?

East Africa’s biggest tabloid The Red Pepper will never stop tickling its audience with bitter facts in this Country. The latest lead story “200 TOP SLEEPY MPs NAMED” published yesterday Saturday 3^rd caught special attention of this blog.

Boy, whatever the victims think, I want to reiterate that this story holds a lot of water and it’s certainly one of those sensible-but painful items The Red Pepper has been illuminating without trepidation. The story dissected the house into two; those who open their lips only when “kissing, yawning or eating” and “the Best MPs” – those who contribute to house debates as required.

For purposes of appealing to my immediate audience back home, tolerate me girl. Let me cross. Let me comment on the situation of MPs from Karamoja region for today.

While I agree with the story overall, somewhere the story put a few devils in the right place. I hope MPs didn’t pay part of the Kyamkwanzi resolution cash to the snoop who did the wood-work so that their names are fixed where they otherwise would not qualify to be. I hope not.

Regrettably, six MPs from Karamoja were listed under the silent, sleepy group whose lips can only “eat, yawn and kiss”. They include; Terence Achia (Bokora County), Margeret Aleper (Kotido woman), Margeret Iriama (Moroto), Rose Iriama (Nakapiripirit), Micha Lolem (Upe County) and the one and only -Peter Abrahams Lokii (Jie).

In order to understand the above legislators squarely, let’s put them into perspective considering what their electorates can do or what they (MPs) can do in response to this dangerous charge from the fourth estate.

In Bokora, Mr Achia who has been in parliament since 2006 is aware of the no –nonsense G-8 coalition in that County. Despite his vast experience and knowledge deposit, Lawrence might face a Mt. Everest race in 2016 for two key reasons. He has eaten for long. His enjoyments habit has hugely leaked to a large number of electorates who might decide on another sober member of the G-8 to take up the responsibility. Thus, much as he has the brain and mouth to easily rubbish The Red Pepper revelation, greedy opponents are capable of using the story against him.

As for Margaret Aleper (Kotido Woman), the roots she built for close to 10 years since 2006 could not easily be uprooted if only she planned some few words to contribute even at committee level sessions in parliament. My worry with Margaret is the Jie voters are so mouthy. This sad news might spread like wild fire and burn many of her planted seeds before 2016. However, she needs just to keep enough money and copy the Peters’ Abrahams and Lokeris style. Short of this, there will be tears in Kotido.

The name of Margeret Iriama (Moroto Woman) should have been sheltered carefully because vote hunting in Matheniko nowadays is increasingly becoming a rock. With more ambitious women jealously and continuously eyeing the position, I thought Mama Iriama could have done better in this first term in the house. Her sympathizers say being a teacher she has a big network. She is also lucky because local political analysts believe her chief rival lives far away from home and only jets in after five years. True or False? I know none.

In Nakapiripirit, Rose Iriama might stay well quiet because she believes in what she saw with her two eyes at the neighborhood. She saw an old man wooing voters using envelops and mere cheap drinks. Above all she is among the MPs who think newspaper readership starts and ends in Kampala. Iriama has two advantages; she has about a decade savings from parliament and she is independent. I wish you victory again in 2016 madam, but teach your lips how to speak too.

In Kotido, there is this common talk that -history will be made if Peter Abrahams goes back to parliament in 2016. Remember Abrahams is the second longest serving Karamoja MP currently. He has never been minister like his colleague - Karamoja’s longest serving (state) minister. One man who can talk you out easily is Abrahams. I once interviewed him and he loves to speak a lot. The only bad thing is liars also speak a lot. Other factors held constant, The Red Pepper fact will haunt Abrahams unless…Oh I know he is good at wording off!

Without saying anything about Micha Lolem (Upe) who served even in the 7^th parliament, let me get down now and give credit where it is due!

To round up, Aleper Simon (Moroto Municipality) and Dr John Baptist Lokii (Matheniko) made names during time of the bad roads. Then, the duo had openly promised to divorce the NRM regime. However, their attempt prompted posh planned visits alongside the president to New York and to Adis Ababa. After this ‘global tour’ reward. The only twin voices for Karamoja died a natural death till tomorrow. I hope our boys will function again like before. But ASPRO and Dr are vocal and promising legislators for Karamoja to say the least. Dear voters, may we rally behind them in 2016?

Finally, I innocently want to congratulate MPs of Abim district for making it to the right group. In a special but natural way, I want to talk about this other one legislator. His car is humble. His heart is sympathetic and searching continuously for the needy. He is a good governance advocate. He will not grow rich because he has shared it all with his electorates. Boy, I do not eat anything and I need nothing, but credit must be given where it is due! I will spend another day to describe the current MP for Labwor County. Michael Ayepa. Meantime, let’s believe in The Red Pepper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He Pierced My Blind Eye Open, My Future is Here

A motivational speaker pricked me in the eye yesterday in Kampala. Robert Bake. His name is not as loud as Ethan Mussolini of Success Africa. But, he gladdened me with his seemingly studied words. Now I have fallen straight into his pit.

In 2012, Mussolini during a Jinja retreat equally flabbergasted me. Musso is great for his spontaneous stress relieving skills. Bake stands special today for putting me into action.  Dear Bake, I started my homework the moment you left us alone. You are my witness; I did not say anything as you spoke. I was only listening. Actively.

One thing is for real, reading good work steadfastly is key in shaping our thinking. It enables us borrow best practices employed by successful people. One particular statement of this speaker (Bake) was a thunderstorm. It destroyed my territory. Bake observed that Success comes from talent, interest and sacrifice. We ought to discover our talents. Successful Countries like China invest in capacity building for young talents as early as possible.

Other contents that Bake shared were among others; the need to “divorce procrastination“, reduce the number of hours spent on sleep, prioritizing expenditures, having clear visions, missions, Objectives and goals, But also identifying gauges or pointers (some would call it - indicators)

Reader, where do you think is my talent? Do I have interest in it? Can I count my eggs laid by this talent today? Boy, these questions remain difficult for now because I met Bake only yesterday. Tomorrow should be able to deliver ONLY resounding yes answers.

For now, allow me undress myself in front of you and immediately also declare to you how I have intended (inspired by Bake’s speech) to dress up smart effective today onwards. The resolutions are based on my three year target. I will reveal this target when the time comes.

From now on, this blog will remain my biggest office. My talent, my interest, my training I gathered is absolutely here. Initially, I lacked the sacrifice, now I give it all. Every day or weekly I promise to live here and strive to market it and move on here.

Bye-bye to my pool playing colleagues. I will put the daily time I used to spend with you somewhere else for now.  Pass on boda boda, unless the situation is as critical as death, I will prefer from today to walk all the walkable distances to save some little coins for my groceries instead for now.

My facebook friends we shall be interacting a lot, but sharing only fruitful information. Casual chats may for now stay asleep. I need some little time to do productive work on this blog and research big from other online resources.

I encourage my friends who prefer beeping my mobile instead of calling to forgive me for three years only. My Airtime funds will be diverted to something I will disclose later, but I will always call people who mean straight business on the spot.

Restaurants will not benefit a lot from me again in three years. Rolex will be on a long leave too. Am going to cook my food at home. Junk foods can wait for me. I may enjoy them again when hard time gets me in the darkest corner of this small world.

Lastly, may THE ALMIGHTY guide me through this short journey. I will as well dedicate a lot of my time to seek from heaven. So help me God!

 

 

KARAMOJA SHOWERS, COUNTLESS HARMS, LET’S DRESS UP!

A visiting friend here in Moroto is sick. Badly sick, weak. He was never here before. He is now admitted in hospital, scrawny, and feeling totally forlorn. The doctor established multiple health problems in the boy’s city-bred body. First, he had unending headache which jokingly graduated into malaria.

At the first clinic he visited; yes, it was just malaria (I hope this clinic’s equipment is good, and heavens only should know if the human resource is equally competent) and nothing more. Accordingly, ‘coheartem’- (God knows I never learnt spellings of drugs) and ordinary pain killer in -Panadol could do.

To my amazement, like a booming business, the pain and heat instead worsened. Were the “corha…” and Panadol expired? It needs a ‘rare’ faithful one from Drugs Authority to confirm. How? Yet, boy, Karamoja is that far off, neglected, ignored and…who has time to stress his back, strain his eyes, waste his money, time on a dusty dirty distant desert business?

Anyway, a smarter hospital doctor diagnosed that Jonathan did not only have malaria, he had typhoid too. Brucellosis was also involved and a strange first-degree flue and dysentery were also in the squared. He equally tested Hepatitis E positive (at primary stage)!

 

Boy, although treatment for Joni’s illness is guaranteed and all is expected to be fine, my friend is so petrified. Scared that Karamoja soil may swallow him. But he will be good again; the medic is quite impressed by his rapid response to drugs, although injections seem to have gnarled his bottom badly.

Joni is definitely not alone, and Karamoja too might not be alone. Weather changes, - experts say equally withers welfare of all living things. Look here; during dry season, don’t harsh wind and drought shade off leaves of plants without consent? Likewise, the harsh realities of weather hits hard on human beings and other animals, domestic and wild. Thus, we need to beware! We ought to take caution. Let’s dress up by taking surveillance information seriously.

 

During rainy seasons, we have seen screaming newspaper headlines on Karamoja roads and floods year in and out. When this is happening, several disease outbreaks also divert attention of our mothers from garden work. Mothers queue at health units with their little ones waiting for treatment. Indeed, it’s partly because of this desperate scenario that ghost clinics have cropped up in the region today.

A fortnight ago, the health Ministry (in a one off health operation) sent a team to Moroto district and boy, most of those clinics where we took our wounds for dressing have been closed on account of lack of authenticity. Most of them according to my source are not licensed and the medics who were bandaging our wounds are not trained! May God make this right!

Worse still, as these countless challenges head home this flood season, habitual opportunists will not wait to do their usual dirty business. Gateway bus will jump the cost of transport for reason that they get stuck on the chubby road and passengers sleep hungry, others used extra coins to reach their destination. Here, God would expect the service provider to reduce cost since the service gets insufficient, but ask Gateway buses for more. Electricity power will now be on just - twice a week as groundless excuses, “rain has struck a pole” stays permanent.

 

Reader, no time and space is enough to describe a rot that will never be addressed. The problems of Karamoja could be solved even in a day, if there was that will. However, since human beings seem responsible for the multiplication of these evils so as to ensure apparent multiplication of profits somewhere, we can only pray and wait like we do for the second coming.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s prioritize school enrollments to sustain peace in Karamoja

With the armed-violence reduction struggle in Karamoja now a success story,  time is ripe for government and partners to look at other significant development undertakings that will drive the region extra miles and ensure sustainability of the military achievement.

One such actions is strengthening education in the region.  A week ago the Resident District Commissioner for Amudat while commenting on the late reopening of schools in the district, observed rightly that “the insecurity of arms in Karamoja is now-no more, but education insecurity remains a challenge to be equally fought”.

Indeed, although schools officially reopened about four weeks ago, most children in a number of primary schools across Karamoja have not yet reported.  The big blame has always been directed to teachers who have equally fitted into the late reporting culture. Teachers also continue grumbling about inadequate shelter, high cost of living, peanut pay and the harsh environment of the North-Eastern part of the Country.

However, even in some well-established primary schools like; Morulem boys’ Lomukura, Komukuny boys’ and Kasimeri in; Abim, Kotido, Kaabong and Moroto districts respectively, pupils’ registration  for this term still stand below average - almost a month down the road.

According to education experts in the region, late reporting in Karamoja schools partly contributes to the region’s annual poor performance in PLE. Other key factors are associated with the feeding and financial challenges that Karimojong children actually hassle with amidst their learning expedition.

It is important to note that as a result of disarmament and the resulting reduction in raids by Karimojong men, there has been a shift in responsibility in homes.  Instead of men taking the breadwinning role (which used to be accomplished through raids), the button has been passed to the young ones especially girl children.

As a result, instead of going to school, most children prefer rotating within towns to look for ‘exploitative’ assignments in exchange for food remnants to feed their parents and little siblings back home. This task is largely executed by young girls. Meanwhile, the boys who are ‘culturally’ allowed to go to school, equally find it hard to fix such school demands as; uniforms, books, pens ...coupled with hunger –since they (children) also command feeding deeds in homes.  Therefore, children keep postponing reporting to school on daily basis, a thing that adversely affects their performance.

The use of children for livelihoods in Karamoja has become such a disease; even babies of two years are now placed in streets with open-begging hands. In Kampala, not all Karimojong children seen begging in streets are actually lost ones, they are simply engaged by unscrupulous adults –even their own parents!

These challenges can be fixed. Strengthening the school feeding programme in Karamoja is still indispensable. World Food Program has done this for decades now; however, the UN body now appears to be scaling off. Last year for instance, children in boarding schools in Karamoja survived mainly on porridge served once a day due to insufficient food supplies.

A special format of UPE that provides scholastic materials to Karimojong children is necessary. Government could also encourage NGOs to respond more to the education gaps in Karamoja. Currently, attention of most organisations in the region is still on peace governance issues, which is a no big problem for now.

Therefore, development partners could switch and fill the much wider gaps in the sectors of Child rights governance and sustainable livelihoods development for Karamoja. Supporting more Karimojong children in school will reduce redundancy and poverty which are the main stimulus of insecurity in the region.

Apart from blogging, Mr. Owiny is also Programme Coordinator, ANPPCAN Uganda Chapter, a Child Rights NGO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ugandans Need Awareness Creation On Children's Rights

Despite the various legal instruments in place, Uganda is clearly making no progress in fighting Child rights violation, one of the key issues the Millennium Development Goals looked at.

 

Apart from the obvious acts of witchcraft that has seen people look for children to be sacrificed to demi-gods, and demonic fathers turning their manhood inside their blood daughters, a lot of other mischievous persons have turned babies into Gold and diamonds for making riches.

 

Today in Karamoja, the Tepeth and Pokot girls are living in fear. The two clans have persistently continued to practice Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) despite the prohibition of FGM Act of 2010. The practice of FGM remains a lucrative business for cultural surgeons in these communities. Girls of about 12 years below suffer this disgrace.

 

The rampant disappearance of babies from Mulago Hospital equally testifies that we really do not have any strong guard for our newborns. Sometimes I imagine that dealers in young babies have links with some people within the institutions where children have continued getting stolen in a strange way. Should we assume that dealers in children connive with security personnel and some unscrupulous hospital employees to rob poor mothers of their young ones for big cash? Could this be why the problem keeps recurring in a National Referral Hospital?

 

Other disturbing cases of sexual violence against children, child labour, trafficking and carnage keep coming and vanishing unresolved. Could it be the power of money preventing children from getting access to justice against rich adults who pay off their crimes to be hidden under the carpet?

One thing that surprises me however is that most key stakeholders and children advocates only come out to give mere strong verbal warnings when a particular case is already off beam, instead of having a practical policy in place to watch and swiftly clear this humiliation out of the nation. As a country, we lack the law enforcement strength yet a lot of laws are in place.

At the international level, the United National Convention on the Rights of the Child gives an interpretive guidance to the country’s Children’s Act. The act in turn splendidly explains major laws relating to the protection of children in Uganda.

Regionally, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the African Child is in place. There is also the 1995 Constitution of Uganda that explores in different articles under Chapter four, the need to protect young people. 

However, in the face of all the above governmental documents, haunting stories of gross violence against infants have continued to frequently dominate the local media, let alone those the press cannot see. Do Ugandans really understand the existence of such laws or are the laws just a hip of paper work known only to some isolated few?

Available statistics on child mismanagement in Uganda keeps going up, yet in other countries and at a global scale the fight against the problem is contrarily dropping!

A recent media report indicates that on average 23 girls and women are raped every day in Uganda, a figure higher than that of maternal mortality rate which is at 16 mothers a day. On child labour, ILO reports that the global figure came down by a third between 2000 and 2012 from 245 million to 168 million correspondingly but in Uganda, UBOS says two million out of 18 million children suffer the brutality.

In order to fix this issue of national moral insecurity; government, Civil Society organisations and all child rights activities should do more vigorous and broader advocacy and awareness creation on the rights and privileges that children are entitled to. Secondly, tougher but workable policies need to be put in place to ensure that perpetrators of child abuse suffer rightful consequences. Ms. Karooro Okurut the Gender Minister, suggests a death sentence for defilers; if this is something workable - why not do it?

Mr. Owiny is a Child Rights defender

SLEEP WELL OMOJA, SEMINARIANS, NGITEPETH & ETHUR ARE WEEPING

The boy wrote this letter and signed it before taking poison

Today, this Tuesday I've felt another shock of the year 2013. Boy, a young school lad shouldn’t pass on just like an insect.  Not like a white ant whose lifespan is naturally brief and flimsy. This particular loss is as agonizing as…hard to tell.

The S.2 student of Apostles of Jesus Minor Seminary in Moroto district committed suicide. The incident took place in Tapac Sub County, Moroto District on Monday 9^th. His problems may only be traced from his aunt, a teacher at Tapac Primary school.

Omoja was on holiday and stayed at the teachers’ school quarters in Tapac. Well, family issues are countless. Investigators hopefully may find out more, but the boy took poison and died in Moroto Hospital where he was rushed to on Tuesday 10^th. In his pocket, a letter below was found.

8.9.2013

TAPAC SUB COUNTY

P.O BOX MOROTO

 

Dear my family members,

I am not happy to write this letter to you. The purpose for writing this is to inform you that my days have come to an end and I also request you to pray for me that I may rest in peace.

And my last greetings go to the following people: my mother Ogwang Sofia, my father Owilli Jimmy, my big brother Omara Samuel, my sisters; Auma, Acheng, Akidi and lastly Akech. My grandmother, my step mother, my Aunt Awilli, my beloved brother Omara and all my relatives. So I request you to pray for my soul to rest in eternal peace.

 

I forgot to greet my great girl friend Atai Immaculate Martha and all my friends who are in this world. What made me to kill myself is the problem that I am facing in this world. Pray for me that I may rest in peace.
 

Thanks.

Your beloved son,

Omoja Fonicus Omoja

Note: I should be buried anywhere even though Tapac or anywhere else.

*********                             *********                  *********                      *********

The ambulance for Tapac Health Centre III   was at service instantaneously as the boy's condition threatened. The nurses, staff of the health unit did 100% service to try and keep life in the boy before setting the ambulance on road. Omoja’s life nonetheless met a full stop at Moroto hospital where I strongly believe the doctors must have done everything possible to try and save the tender life of this seminarian.

As the investigating team fill the bumpy road to Tapac tomorrow, sorrow fills the small community of the Tepeth who knew the boy. One close friend of the deceased describes him as a very quiet and disciplined guy. Most people who knew him strongly believe that someone could have silently planted stress in the boy’s life as he never knew how to cause any sort of trouble.

Although the boy like me is from Abim district, I never knew him. I never saw him. I will never see him again.  Now I write out of emotions generated from what people talk and the feelings of those who knew my brother Fonicus. Thus, all I can afford now is prayers, prayers for the good boy I didn’t meet. I plead that he rests well and waits for us not outside the kingdom of God.

Mean time, I hope the perpetrator (s) of Omoja’s death should realise the kind of loss he/she could have caused to Apostles of Jesus Seminary, to the kind hearted Tepeth community who treasured the poor boy, but most importantly, the loss to his family people in Abim district.

 Even if the architect of Omoja’s death will be made to face earthly punishments, life is sincerely irreplaceable whatsoever. A lesson though it is to those of us who are still alive and taking care of dependants. Let’s be human, share happiness and protect life. 

Brother Fonicus may your soul rest in a place out of harm's way.