Two Steps Forward, One Backwards: the transition of Karamoja

Two Steps Forward, One Backwards: the transition of Karamoja Paper Delivered for International Cooperation and Development Retreat By Grace Akello (Ms) Ambassador of Uganda to Italy Amelia, Umbria 14 th September, 2013 Grace Akello (Ms) Ambassador of Uganda to Italy 0

Introduction 1.1I want to talk frankly about Karamoja because I can see that you are a collection of very serious people. You have put everything else aside today, and for this particular hour, in order to come and hear me speak. The subject of our discussion this afternoon, as indeed is the subject of the whole training exercise here, is development. We who are here are jointly concerned about a particular part of Uganda and are of a common resolve to help that part to overcome some of its development challenges. In other words we are here to promote the development of Uganda. I thank you for the concern that you show for my country. In this spirit, I count each one of you here as a partner and comrade in the struggle to develop my country. It is for this reason that I have to talk to you in a candid manner. In order to do this, I have to adopt certain tools and languages of analysis which can help me to effectively deliver my message to you this afternoon. 1.2 First and foremost, I have to ask what is development? Is it increased wealth created by industrialization, increased use of technology informed by the scientific method, mass production of goods and the vending of such goods and services? If that is development, then we have a long way to go, in both Karamoja and Uganda. Equally if development is measured by the standard of living and the quality of life people lead, by their health and longevity, by their levels of education and knowledge, even then we still have a long way to development in Karamoja and Uganda. 1.3 For us who are interested in one particular part of the entity called Uganda, we have heavier hurdles to overcome. This is because as undeveloped as Uganda is, there are further scales against which we measure the undeveloped form of our particular area of interest. We can measure the development of this area by looking at the individual members of the population, its constituent communities and by looking at the region in general. Another thing we should be careful to look into is the matter of distribution of the wealth or resources that could be indicative of development. The question to ask is how evenly or fairly distributed such wealth or resources are. Whichever way we look at development in Karamoja, we will Grace Akello (Ms) Ambassador of Uganda to Italy 1

still have to come back to the mother entity of Uganda to appreciate what we are seeing stark naked in front of us. 1.4 Before I delve into the area of our specific focus this afternoon, allow me to give you some comparisons between our two countries, Uganda and Italy. In 2011 Italy had a population of some 60 million people, growing at an average of 0.6% per annum. Uganda then had a population of 34 million people which was growing at an average of 3.2% per annum. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Italy in 2011 was US$2,194 trillion and growing at 0.6 per annum. That of Uganda was US$21 billion, growing at 2.6 per annum. While on average per capita GDP in Italy was US$36,130,45 in 2011, in Uganda per capita GDP was US1,400. 1.5 Allow me to compare these figures with those of three other developed countries: the United States of America (US), France and the United Kingdom of Britain (UK). In 2011, the US had a GDP of 15.075 trillion. France had a GDP of US$2,773 trillion in the same year and UK posted GDP figures of US$2.445 trillion. Italy is the eighth largest economy in the world; Uganda comes as number 110 in the strength of world economies. Italy is a modern economy with many industries featuring widespread use of technology, even within the SME sector of the economy. It is an economy characterized by less than 2% reliance on agriculture; focusing more on the industry and services sectors. Uganda is still predominantly a peasant agricultural economy with over 60% of its employment being in this type of agriculture. The country has very few industries and a very low technological base. There is an emerging services sector which is saddled with grave challenges. Uganda s economy is under still heavily reliant on the sale of raw agricultural products such as coffee, tea, cotton, beans, hides and skins, etc. 1.6 Today, 20 years of keen stewardship by the NRM Government has grown the economy. Current and capital accounts have been liberalized. Tax administration is much improved with an autonomous body, the Uganda Revenue Authority, managing most matters of taxation. There are no price controls in the country, not even in interest rates. State parastatals have been removed and yes, privatization in line with the advice of the World Bank, has helped resuscitate Grace Akello (Ms) Ambassador of Uganda to Italy 2

GDP of selected countries in US$, 2011 $2.445.000.000. 000 $2.773.000.000. 000 $2.194.000.000. 000 $21.000.000.00 0 $15.075.000.00 0.000 USA FRANCE UK ITALY UGANDA growth in key areas of the Ugandan economy. For those aggrieved in any way, there is a Commercial Court which dispenses justice within the commercial sector. Though Uganda s economy has risen from the ashes of colonial and postcolonial mismanagement, it still faces huge challenges. It has a very high infrastructure deficit reflecting among other challenges, low road and rail coverage, minimum use of waterways, limited electricity supplies, etc. Grace Akello (Ms) Ambassador of Uganda to Italy 3

A few indicators are given in Table I below for further comparisons between our two countries. Table I Country Comparisons: Italy and Uganda, 2011 Indicator Italy Uganda Life expectancy 82 years 54 years Infant Mortality Rate 3 58 Under 5 years Mortality Rate 4 90 Maternal Mortality Rate 3 550 Births Attended by Skilled Personnel 99% 42% Crude Birth Rate 9/1000 45/1000 Crude Death Rate 10/1000 12/1000 Adult Literacy Rate 100% 65% Mean Years of Schooling 9.7 4.7 Population Below Poverty Line 0 24.5% (2010) 2.0 Colonia legacy 2.1 In order to enrich your understanding of Uganda s development challenges, and within it Karamoja s, I will introduce a perspective of analyzing development floated by some thinkers. According to world systems theory, Uganda is one of the periphery countries in one world system which is marked by accumulation of capital and exploitation of labour. Uganda was drawn into this world system through colonial domination triggered off at the 1884 1885 Berlin Conference in Germany. It was at this conference that powerful countries in Europe sat to divide the world and secure for themselves the resources accruing from such possessions. 2.2 Uganda has never been an island since its creation and colonization by the British in the late 19 th century. As is common knowledge to many of us, the Berlin conference of 1884 galvanised European powers of the time, led by Otto von Bismark their host, to carve out Africa into their spheres of influence. The driving force was to acquire rich areas of the continent for exploitation of their wealth for the benefit of the colonial powers. Uganda s main attraction for Grace Akello (Ms) Ambassador of Uganda to Italy 4

many of these powers was the headwaters of the Nile because whoever controlled the headwaters of the Nile could control Egypt and developments in that part of Arab Africa. 2.3 As a periphery country Uganda s role to the world system then, as now, was to supply, at cheap prices, unprocessed materials such as minerals, tea, coffee, cotton, etc. It was and still is also expected to provide for the system s cheap agricultural products and most importantly, to supply cheap labour to sustain the system. In return for these supplies and services, the world system gives Uganda processed goods, including its tea and coffee, at very high cost claiming to have added value to them. 2.4 When the actual moment to declare Uganda cut for one or the other of the Berlin powers, it was done so not by Government, but by a British trading company. After Lugard, representing the British East African Trading Company foisted the Union Jack in Kampala, the British embarked on building the so called Lunatic Express a railway from the Indian Ocean, starting from the coastal town of Mombasa to Kampala. The railway was as vital to British imperialism as was the Cape to Cairo Highway, dreamt of by Cecil Rhodes, the great British capitalist/imperialist. The idea of the Uganda Railway was to provide reliable and cheap infrastructure to transport wealth exploited from Uganda, from along the spine of the railway and from the ivory-rich interior of north-east Africa, back home to Britain. To cut the costs of building the railway to minimum levels, the British drafted in cheap labour from their India Empire. Later the survivors of this adventure and their sons were to form Uganda s Asian business class: much regarded by British colonialists over and above the indigenous Africans who wanted to join the business class in their own country. The Africans had to fight both colonial capitalists and their agents, the Asian businessmen, before they could gain access to the commercial sector of their own economy. 2.5 In the cotton sector particularly, the British licensed Indian traders not only to buy cotton from African growers, but also to gin it. They refused to grant any ginning licenses to Africans. While this kind of favouritism caused the British colonial administration a few protests by an upcoming African business community, especially in Kampala and Buganda, in the 1940s, it culminated in the expulsion of all Asians in Uganda by Idi Amin. In 1971, Idi Amin told the world that God had told him to expel all Asians, including those born in Uganda, because they were milking the Ugandan cow without feeding it. Grace Akello (Ms) Ambassador of Uganda to Italy 5

2.6 Cotton was the most important crop that the British encouraged Ugandans to grow. Needless to say, it was for export to their mills for the booming British cotton industry. Ugandans also were made to grow coffee but only in suitable areas. Tea was reserved as an estate crop which could only be grown by Europeans or Asians. Some parts of Uganda, e.g. West Nile, were declared unproductive. The area was then declared a cheap labour recruiting reserve for menial jobs with the colonial masters, for sugar cane cutting, and for some of the upcoming small manufacturing plants in Jinja. Later, when there was need to feed the British and American tobacco industry with raw tobacco leaf, the same areas were then allowed to grow tobacco and nothing else. 3.0 Karamoja sealed off 3.1 As for our area of focus this afternoon, Karamoja was sealed off and declared unruly. It became to all intents and purposes a human zoo where one could go to see the savage native in his natural setting. Immediate post-independence governments continued with the policy of excluding Karamoja from the Ugandan mainstream. They chose instead to nurture a dangerous gap of political, economic and social exclusion of the region. These governments then dealt with Karamoja by punitive action against Karimojong cattle-rustling in neighbouring districts. So long as the Karimojong people did not venture out into other tribal districts in the country, they were left to their own devices. The payment of hardship allowance to officers who were posted to Karamoja was a strong indicator of the attitude towards Karamoja by Uganda s civil servants. A contemporary son of Karamoja summarized this state of affairs as long and protracted marginalization of the Karimojong people. This marginalization has been built and socialized into generation after generation. So Karamoja maintained the status of isolation that British colonialism had conferred upon her until the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government came to power in January, 1986. 3.2 Redressing the injustice of the political, economic and social exclusion meted to the Karamoja region of Uganda was one of the concerns of the NRM government. In its party Manifesto The Ten Point Programme (TPP) -- Government committed itself to resettling the Karimojong. Grace Akello (Ms) Ambassador of Uganda to Italy 6

The Kariomojong people have suffered a lot at the hands of various post-independence governments. Settling these people is not at all difficult. One of the crucial elements should be the provision of water. Karamoja being dry country, people will be attracted to these water points and government can use that opportunity to reach them. International aid agencies could help in this aspect. 3.3 When the NRM came to power however, it was faced with a situation in Karamoja which for every two steps taken forward, it was pulled back one step by the realities on the Karamoja playing field. 4.0 Welcome to Karamoja 4.1 This seems a good point to pause and take a closer look, for those of us who are not familiar with the area and Uganda, into Karamoja and the Karimojong people. Karamoja lies in north-eastern Uganda where it borders Kenya to the east, Sudan to the north and bar a few miles, Ethiopia to the north-north east. The plateau area of Karamoja standing at over 1,000metres of 4,400 feet above sea level is 27,000 square kilometres -- nearly one-tenth of the total surface area of Uganda. It is mostly dry savannah and bush receiving on average between 500 800 millitres of rain a year. The Karamoja Plateau is a picturesque area with the East African Rift Valley to the east, Kidepo National Park lying as the basin of the Rift Valley and mountains towards the Sudan, north of Moroto and towards the east (volcanic Mount Elgon). 4.2 The Karamoja region has a population of some 721,500 people. It is divided into seven districts namely: Abim, Amudat, Kaabong, Kotido, Moroto, Nakapiripirit and Napak. This means that the Karimojong people are a minority accounting for two per cent of Uganda s population of 34,131,000 (2011) estimate. The Karamoja Region, like other regions in Uganda, does not have one homogenous population. The Region has a number of cultures some of which are sub-cultures while others are quite discrete. Among the latter category is the Karimojong ethnic group with the sub-groups of Bokora, Pian, Matheniko and Jie. Those who do not view themselves as Karimojong are the Pokot, to be found mostly in Amudat District. They are akin to the Pokot of Kenya and to the Sabiny of Uganda. The Ethur or Jabwor are to be found mostly in Abim District and are more of Luos than Karimojong. There are other less known ethnic groups Grace Akello (Ms) Ambassador of Uganda to Italy 7

in the region including the Tepes, the Teuso and the Ik. British colonialists lumped these peoples together and forced them to speak one language, Ngakarimojong. 4.3 The Karamoja Plateau and mountains contain a variety of minerals such as gold, tin, phosphates, marble, etc. A few people in Karamoja usually engage in panning gold from the fast running waters of Karamoja rivers during the rainy season. There is a promising mineral exploration and exploitation industry in Karamoja. 4.4 Apart from minerals, the Karamoja plateau is home to large herds of Zebu cows which are the people s source of wealth, livelihood and food. They also keep sheep, goats and more recently, pigs. Cattle-keeping, like crop husbandry, is of a peasant nature. Karimojong cattle farmers are peasant in their operations, and believe in acquiring large numbers of animals which they feed on increasingly limited grazing grounds. As a result of this overstocking, the region loses it vegetation cover and its soils suffer erosion; adding to the degradation of the land. Lack of green grass and vegetable matter to graze on, makes the Karimojong to move wherever these can be found. The following description of the Karimojong was, up to 2000 when disarmament was launched, typical of the Karimojong relationship with cows. The Karimojong live and die for cattle.nomadic warriors are constantly on the move to find water, to increase their herds, to defend their own and to get cattle for dowries. 4.5 Thus while the NRM government had ideas for accelerating the development of Karamoja, the Karimojong themselves were only thinking of how to perpetuate their way of life through expansion of their cow herds in whichever manner. The implementers of Government programmes under a key NRM Government agency, the Karamoja Development Agency (KDA) came into naked confrontation not only with this way of life; but more fundamentally, with this way of thinking. Government found itself in a position whereby having taken two steps forward, it had to take one step back to rethink the nature of its interventions so as to yield the desired impact in the region. 4.6 What was clear for all to see was that the Karimojong blind attachment to cows and the attitude of acquisition and ownership of cows by any means brought the Karimojong into direct confrontation with their neighbours both within and outside Uganda. While in the past the confrontation used to be man to man and spear to spear, following the acquisition of guns by the Grace Akello (Ms) Ambassador of Uganda to Italy 8

Karimojong, between 1978 and 2001, the confrontation became unequal. Karimojong warriors armed with guns, rustled cattle from unarmed neighbouring Acholi, Lango, Teso and Sebei regions in Uganda, as well as from the neighouring Kenya areas of Turkana and Pokot. With increased availability of small arms and ammunitions across the northern belt of greater east Africa -- from Somalia across through northern Kenya into southern Ethiopia and thence to southern Sudan -- militarized cattle-rustling turned into a major security threat. 4.7 Within Karamoja itself, the effect of small arms trafficking and intra-karimojong cattlerustling, made the region very insecure, turning away any who might have wanted to engage in productive activity. Much as the Government put in place a development agency for this area within the very first year of its existence, it was forced to go back to the fundamental problem of insecurity and lawlessness in the region. Within its immediate neighbourhood in Teso, increased armed cattle rustling precipitated an anti-government rebellion from 1986 1994 and kept a wedge between Iteso and the NRM government for a long time. All of Karamoja s neighbours within Uganda let out a huge outcry from prompting Government to launch a disarmament exercise in 2000. 5.0 Karamoja finds a voice 5.1 In the political dispensation of Uganda today, there are 16 Parliamentary constituencies in Karamoja carved out on the principle of 60,000 people forming a Parliamentary Constituency. Thus in Uganda s 375 unicameral legislature, Karamoja is represented by 16 Members of Parliament (MPs). All MPs from Karamoja belong to the ruling NRM party which has a majority of 205 seats in Parliament. Two of Karamoja s MPs hold the ministerial portfolios of minerals and Ethics. In addition to this level of representation, under Uganda s decentralised governance structure, the region has seven district local governments and 42 lower local governments based at sub-county level. The leadership at both district and sub-county local governments is elected by universal adult suffrage: just like the Parliamentary representatives. At both Parliamentary and local government levels, women representation is mandatory. At least one third of the local government councils must be composed of women. In the same way, affirmative action meant to ensure women leadership in Government, is met by having an elected woman MP per district. Grace Akello (Ms) Ambassador of Uganda to Italy 9

5.2 The Local Governments Act gives districts extensive legislative, financial and political powers to run their local affairs. Within these powers, district governments being bodies corporate, can do a lot to promote the development of their areas. Districts receive monthly allocations of budgeted funds from Government. Such funds are targeted towards specific sectors including water development, health, education, roads and other district infrastructure, etc. In addition, government releases funds to support NGO-funded institutions especially medical units. Funds for agricultural activities are released for specific on-going projects, from the common pool of resources given to the National Agricultural Advisory and Development Services (NAADS). The actual resources released to each district are arrived at through a constitutional formula which is calculated by the Uganda Local Governments Finance Commission. In addition to these resources, local governments are mandated to attract as much support from Uganda s bilateral and multilateral development partners as possible. 6.0 Stuck in the rut of the periphery 6.1 Despite these interventions, Karamoja gives dismal statistics in almost every area of development in Uganda. For example, while Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is 47/1000 children, disquieting enough for Uganda as a country, for Karamoja the figure is double that, 87/1000. While 65 out of every 1,000 children under the age five years die in Uganda, in Karamoja the figure is 153 children. In Italy, 99% of births are attended to by a trained and skilled person. In Karamoja, only 30% of the births are attended to by a skilled and trained person. Compared to Kampala 89% whose mothers dispose of their children s stool in a safe manner, only 41% of Karimojong mothers do the same. Over 80% of the families in Karamoja do not have any hand washing facilities. In our focus area, 58.1% of the female population has not had any formal education. Among the men 45%, have not had any basic education and only 37.2% may have completed primary education. Looking at all the regions of Uganda, the Uganda Household Survey of 2011 found that Karamoja region has the least number of both men and women who have had any basic education. 6.2 Education is an area which has seen exponential growth in many parts of the country. In Karamoja however, despite the drive given to Karamoja s Development Agency to push for Grace Akello (Ms) Ambassador of Uganda to Italy 10

education, government had to go back one step in order to rethink education in Karamoja. While other parents in the country took pride in their children acquiring education, parents in Karamoja worried that once educated, their children would be the very agents to spearhead the erosion of Karimojong values. Moreover Karimojong households have a strictly gender-related division of labour. Taking the children to school would mean that Karimojong girls and boys would not be available for training so that they replicate this division of labour. In the short run, their going to school would mean that Karimojong boys and girls would not be available to help their parents with household chores. To cap it all, since very few Karimojong have gone to school, there are no role models for the next generation of children in Karamoja. For the few that have gone to school, as a result of their limited level of education, it is difficult for them to get high ranking jobs. They therefore get menial jobs which do not attract much admiration from their peers and Karimojong society as a whole. Thus many Karimojong choose to stick to their own way of life; which does not include going to school. 6.3 On health related matters, 30% of the children born in Karamoja are very small or have a weight which is far too small than the average weight of a child at birth. With HIV/AIDS posing a huge threat to the lives of Ugandans, the women of Karamoja are abysmally ignorant of this threat with only 20% of them comprehending the dangers posed by the pandemic. These women are virtually unaware of the danger of the mother passing on AIDS to the child in her womb. Among the Pokot ethnic sub-group in Karamoja, female circumcision is a norm. Pokot are leading in practising female genital mutilation in Uganda; where the practice is also to be found among the Sabiny in Sebei. So, while Government has put in place measures for the empowerment of women, among the Pokot in Karamoja, societal norms perpetuate the subordination of women. In this area, as in a number of areas in the Karamoja development challenge, Government has had to take one step back to re-think the best way to liberate the Pokot girl-child in the face of such negative cultural practices. 7.0 The long haul out of the bottom of the periphery 7.1 The region of Karamoja can best be described as a periphery of the periphery of one of the countries of our world system called Uganda. The sitting government, which is a Grace Akello (Ms) Ambassador of Uganda to Italy 11

revolutionary government, knew that Uganda was a periphery country from the time it took over the reins of power in 1986. In the party manifesto, called the Ten Point Programme, it referred to Uganda as an enclave economy tied to international capital through means of an unfair exchange which saw African value being exchanged for no value and [which precipitated and perpetuated] the stunting of [Africa s] productive forces. 7.2 During its 20 years in power, the National Resistance Government has done a lot to set in motion processes to reverse this unhealthy world system. On taking over Government, passed an act of Parliament to create a development agency for Karamoja region. Under Statue 4 of 1987, the Karamoja Development Agency (KDA) was created to carry out seven key development functions namely: i) to supervise the general transformation of Karamoja and bring about rapid economic and social development; ii) To ensure that in the development process of Karamoja region, the Karimojong people acquire the necessary skills that will enable them to participate in the solution of the socioeconomic problems of the region; iii) To provide sufficient water in the region for the purpose of developing agriculture and animal industry in the region; iv) to promote, diversify and increase the productive capacity of the region; v) to provide and improve the health and educational facilities in the region; vi) to coordinate all developmental projects that are or are to be carried out in the region, vii) to carry out any other function which is incidental to the above named functions or is necessary for enabling the agency to fulfil its objectives. 7.3 The KDA had wide powers. The most critical of these was its power to raise financial, technical and material resources and assistance. The apex body for the Agency was made up of top officials (Permanent Secretaries) from over 10 government ministries including those of defence, local government, water and mineral resources, animal industry and fisheries, education, health, planning and economic development, etc. The two heads of the then two districts of Karamoja, Moroto and Kotido, were part of the Board of KDA. The Agency was run by a Director responsible for executing the policies and directives of the Board. Funding for the Grace Akello (Ms) Ambassador of Uganda to Italy 12

agency came first and foremost from Government allocations and any monies from international agencies, NGOs etc that the Agency could raise. 7.4 Under KDA, Karamoja witnessed a proliferation of NGOS many of them being relief and association with the two main branches of Christianity: Catholic and Protestant. The World Food Programme intensified its food distribution programmes even as questions were beginning to be raised about the effectiveness of providing ready food rather than the ability to produce food. One of the recent outcomes of such debate was the introduction of food for work programmes in Karamoja. Food for work has helped realise the construction of some local infrastructure such as small dams and village roads. 7.5 There was no doubting the commitment of Government to the KDA but over time the agency was not able to deliver as a technical body. To strengthen it, a Minister of State for Karamoja Affairs under the Office of the President was appointed. Following restructuring, the Karamoja Affairs Ministry was transferred to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM). The OPM is a coordinating office for all Government activities and the transfer was to enable effective coordination of all key actors in the development of Karamoja. Apart from KDA and later, the resources available through the OPM and other budgeting, Karamoja region also benefitted from World Bank and other bilateral funds in the Northern Uganda Rehabilitation Programme (NURP). In the late 1990s to the beginning of 2000, the Italian Government under AVSI had set up a mapping unit for Karamoja under the OPM. This unit provided accurate information on various locations in Karamoja and was thus indispensible as more actors entered into the development arena of Karamoja. The region also benefitted from the 2003 2006 Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF) and was set to benefit from NUSAF II. 7.6 In addition to NUSAF and other resources, Government of Uganda launched the Karamoja Integrated Disarmament and Development Programme (KIDDP). The programme is aimed at ensuring the security of persons and their property in the region. Apart from security, a key element in ensuring sustainable security in the region is through establishment of law and order. In order to achieve food security and increase household incomes in Karamoja, a subcomponent of the KDDP, the Karamoja Action Plan for Food Security (KAFSA) was launched. Costing 90 billion shillings, this project is to work in increasing both crop and livestock production and productivity. It is set to work on ensuring increased water availability and Grace Akello (Ms) Ambassador of Uganda to Italy 13

functionality in the region where availability of water for animals and human beings, is a major challenge. Unlike previous relief targeted activities in Karamoja, the central focus of KAFSA will be the local communities which will be the prime movers and beneficiaries of project activities. The communities will be trained in appropriate skills and knowledge to use technologies which are availed for increased food production and productivity. 7.7 The KDDP Programme is also aimed at building sustainable peace through promoting recovery projects and those which will ensure sustainable growth and development in Karamoja. Given the many negative indicators, one of the key needs in Karamoja region is to mobilise Karimojong communities for education, health, food security and peaceful co-existence with her neighbours. These matters form an important dimension of the work of KIDDP. 8.0 Friendships and alliances for development 8.1 Uganda is a very friendly country which has always promoted good relations with other countries; including its former colonial power, Britain. As a result of this the country benefits from development funding from many developed countries. For example, the activities of the World Food Programme, especially for Karamoja, are often funded by a consortium of donors. Bilateral support to Karamoja also comes in the form of western agencies such as Italian Cooperazione, UKAid, Irish Aid, USAID, GTZ, etc which prefer to carry out specific interventions directly on the ground in Karamoja. For example, an Irish Aid bursary programme for secondary education has been running in Karamoja since 2003. Over 1,000 Karimojong students have benefited from this scheme. The Irish also provided textbooks and other educational materials to schools in Karamoja. UKAid and Irish Aid continue to work together in areas of social protection for Karimojong people in the districts of Moroto and Nakapiripirit. 8.2 Italy has supported Karamoja in practical ways for a number of years. In 2010 it contributed funds for the WFP s Karamoja Productive Assets Programme which marked a departure from WFP supplying food and cereal to getting the Karimojong to cultivate their own food, to construct dams and water storage utilities and to rolling out energy-saving technologies in Karamoja. One particular project which had given services to a large number of mothers and children, especially was the Mobile Clinic Project run by Italian Cooperazione in Karamoja. Grace Akello (Ms) Ambassador of Uganda to Italy 14

With 5million Euros funding from the Italian Government, the project delivered preventive and curative health services to the remotest parts of Karamoja. The project concept was as brave as it was simple. Since distance and insecurity prevented the sick from trekking long distances for health services, the health services would move to them on a daily basis. In all the project covered 30 parishes in Moroto and Nakapiripirit Districts. In 2012 funds ran out and the clinic had to close, leaving a void in Karamoja s scant health services delivery system. This is a sad reflection of the Karamoja story: two steps forward and one step backwards. 8.3 Other joint initiatives such as that of the European Union (EU) can be both bilateral and multilateral in Karamoja. For example, in 2008 the British Government donated 3.8 billion shillings for EU activities in the districts of Moroto, Kotido, Kaabong and Nakapiripirit. This money was utilised through Save the Children Fund for projects on building peace, promoting human rights awareness and mobilisation of communities in these districts. The EU currently runs a Northern Uganda Rehabilitation Programme as well as a Karamoja Livelihoods Programme. Out of the 20 million Euros project funds, 15 million Euros is devoted to Karamoja. The money is to help improve on agro-pastural productivity and diversification, to develop Karamoja water infrastructure as well as enhance local governance and people s participation in decision-making. 9.0 Conclusion 9.1 I have tried to point out in this long paper, that the Karamoja development challenge should be seen from the point of view of its position in a colonial and post-colonial Uganda. Colonial Uganda was a creation of the British who wanted to secure territory as other European powers were doing in the late 19 th century. Once the British got Uganda, they divided the area up into productive zones in line with their need of raw materials. Ugandan areas were demarcated for cotton, coffee, tea and later tobacco growing. Some areas in Uganda were declared to be simply labour reserves. Thus Uganda was captured into the world system as a peripheral but important part of the system from which raw materials needed for industrial production in the core countries were got. Thus within the periphery of Uganda, there were cotton-growing areas, coffee-growing areas, etc. Grace Akello (Ms) Ambassador of Uganda to Italy 15

9.2 Karamoja was, from the beginning of British imperialism in Uganda, considered too remote to matter. So it was the periphery of the periphery. It was totally neglected. In fact, it was declared a human zoo. To pull Karamoja from over 100 years of exclusion or deliberate isolation, is the challenge with which we are grappling. 9.3 I have long wanted an opportunity for all this to come out of my own system. But I wanted it to come out in the presence of people who would understand. I wanted to hand over this baton of development to someone or some people who could continue to run the race effectively and win. You have been the perfect audience for it. You represent the new generation of relations between Africa and Europe. You are the generation of human rights, of liberty, of justice, of truth: a wealthy generation. You are the generation that hates poverty and strife. Yet, sheltered from both poverty and strife by the efforts of your parents and their parents before them, you come out in search of both. In that spirit of comradeship with those suffering from the hangover of repression and injustice, I urge you to join hands with us for the monumental task of creating a place for peace, for justice, for liberty and for wealth in Karamoja. 9.4 Thank you for your attention. References 1. Katie Willies Theories and Practices of Development, published by Routledge, London and New York, 2005 2. Government of Uganda Uganda Local Government Act, 1997 3. National Resistance Movement The Ten Point Programme 4. Office of the Prime Minister Karamoja Integrated Disarmament and Development Programme 5. Uganda Government Printer The Karamoja Development Agency Act 4 (1987) Grace Akello (Ms) Ambassador of Uganda to Italy 16

6. Government of Uganda Uganda Household Survey, 2011 Internet 1 On Karamoja Action Plan for Food Security opm.go.ug/assets/media/resources/17/karamoja_action_plan_for_food_security (2009-2014).pdf 2 On Irish Aid www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=83594 3 On marginalisation of Karamoja www.karamoja.com/inter_warriors.html www.karamoja.com/karimojong.html www.the guardian.com/global-development/pc 4 On Assessment of World Food Programme s Livelihood Programme www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/ 5 On Immanuel Wallerstein s World System Theory there are several references on the Internet. A simple review of his world system theory is found in Wikipedia 6 For European Union Work in Uganda 7 On KIDDP www.deluga.eu.europa.eu/index www.kiddp.org.ug Grace Akello (Ms) Ambassador of Uganda to Italy 17