President Yoweri Museveni has highly commended the people of Kotido district in particular and Karamoja Sub-Region in general for producing a lot of food this season especially sorghum. He also called on them to embrace modernization.
“I thank you very much for producing a lot of sorghum. But you should engage in agriculture for food and money and you must think of modernization. I have come to request you to embrace modernization in its totality,” he said.
The President, accompanied by his wife who is also the Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Mrs. Janet Museveni, made the remarks yesterday while concluding his 5 day visit to Karamoja Sub-Region at a rally he addressed at Boma Grounds in Kotido Town Kotido district.
Mr. Museveni reminded the people of Kotido that the NRM government deliberately designed programmes aimed at leading all Ugandans into modernization. He cited programmes like the Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE) that were deliberately tailored to facilitate the modernization process.
“When we came to power in 1986, we said Uganda and Africa must be modernized. All government programmes are deliberate and will lead us to modernization. All of us must modernize,” he stressed.
President Museveni was delighted to see the prevailing peace in Karamoja Sub-Region which was a result of the disarmament exercise that was vehemently opposed by some political actors.
The President urged the Karimojong to utilize that peace for promoting modernization that, he said, mainly hinges on 4 pillars that include modern commercial agriculture, industries, services especially in the tourism sector and Information Communication Technology (ICT).
Commenting on some of the issues raised by Kotido leaders in their memorandum, Mr. Museveni assured the people of the area that Kotido, like other districts, will get a hospital as stipulated in the policy of the government. He also assured the people of Kotido of electricity that will further be extended to Kaabong district and Kidepo Valley National Park.
Regarding cattle diseases, he said the only solution is vaccination adding that with the peace now prevailing in Karamoja and the need for people to change their attitude, even tsetse flies can also be eradicated.
While welcoming the President to her area, the Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Mrs. Janet Museveni, congratulated the people of Kotido district for working hard to produce a lot of food this season.
She reminded them of the importance of the roles their families must play pointing out that food production and income generation at household levels is paramount.
Mrs. Museveni called on the Karimojong to work together with the government to improve their standard of life.
“Families must play their role, take care of family members, their food and financial needs and walk side by side with government to improve their life,” she said.
Mrs. Museveni, however, congratulated the people of the region for the peace achieved and called on them to be proud of the NRM government that has struggled to bring peace and development not only to Uganda but also to countries of the region where stability was lacking.
The Minister of State for Karamoja Affairs, Ms. Nekesa Barbra Oundo, urged the Karimojong to maintain the peace ushered in by the NRM government and also to support the UPE and USE programmes.