President Museveni will today be starting his scientific campaigns in greater Moroto, under the Moroto Municipality, an area that comprises 5 districts namely Amudat, Moroto, Nabilatuk, Nakapirirpirit and Napak under the hashtags #SilentMajority and #SecuringYourFuture.
The municipality according to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) figures has a population of up to 531,197 people, which are figures from the population census that was conducted in 2014 and has continued to receive government support to finance several constructions of the region.
In the last four financial year 2016/2017 – 2019/2020, the region has benefited from over UGX. 175,525,158,282 as a percentage of the national budget over those years part of which has gone into the construction of district roads, community roads, and urban roads to improve the infrastructure of the region. The government also set up a Women Fund that the government has been funding for the last 4 years, with up to 3,923 beneficiaries, 297 projects, and up to UGX. 1,910,713,739 disbursed.
So far, the government has the following inputs distributed between 2016/2020 as interventions aimed at reducing household poverty with key enterprises for distribution targeted including citrus seedlings, cassava cuttings, cattle for beef and cattle for diary.
NAADs
Regarding NAADS, the following are the future plans which include the establishment of regional agro-industrial parks, establishment of regional farm service centres (SFSCs), Scaling up of the e-voucher model of inputs’ distribution, and increased agro-processing of the selected products.
Others include establishing a new and the expansion of existing agro-industries for processing key agricultural products, promotion of agro-based cottage industries, post-harvest handling, storage and processing infrastructure, food security interventions, livestock interventions.
Educations
When it comes to education, the government has been able to construct up to 12 primary schools including; Kalas Girls P/S, Kalas Boys P/S an dKatikit P/S in Amudat, Kasimeri P/S, Naitak P/S and Moroto KDA P/S in Moroto, Lorengedwat P/S, Nakapiripirit P/S and Tokora P/S in Nakapiripirit and Lorengecora P/S, Loodoi P/S and Lotome P/S in Napak.
A total of 7,535 students have been enrolled in secondary schools in the region with about 4 other technical institutions to provide technical training to the students. 3 of these are from the government whereas the 4th is a missionary institution but supported by the government, however, they have a low enrolment with about 138 students in them.
The government however has plans to increase that enrollement and in the current manifesto, it is proposed that students in these technical institutions will study for free, and that enrolment will be based on those who need to join without necessarily completing the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) level.
Health Sector
In the health sector, the government has set up a General Referral Hospital in the region situated in Moroto Municipality, Moroto district and serves the entire Karamoja region. The government completed refurbishing the hospital and is fully operational.
Among the policies of the NRM government is to have a health centre III in every sub country and already out of the 45 sub counties in the region, a total of25 sub counties have HC IIIs.
There exists 2 Health Centre IVs , one in Amudat and the other in Nabilatuk, that are currently being planned for upgrading.
12 Health Centre IIs are being up-graded to Health Centre IIIs Alakas HC II, Katabot HC II, Looro HC II, Amudat HC II, Abiliyeb HC II, Achorichor HC II, Lokales HC II, Cheptapoyo HC II in Amudat district, Natirae HC II, and Nayonai-angikalio HC II in Nabilatuk, and Loregae HC II and Kakongole HC II in Nakapiripirit.
The government is already constructing about 69 staff housing units for health workers in Karamoja, which are in various stages of their completion with the beneficiaries being Amudat, Kotido, Kaabong, Napak, Moroto and Nakapiripirit.
Oxgyen plants have also been set up with an adequate capacity to supply lower level health facilities in the region.
There is also a plan to establish a blood bank at Moroto Regional Referral Hospital in order to increase on the availability of safe blood in the region.
Water
When it comes to water supply in the region, the government plans to extend water to villages that do not have a water source.
The government plans to design and eventually construct Mt. Moroto Gravity Flow Scheme in Moroto district in order to address the water challenges that the district faces while specifically focusing on the water situation in the mountainous areas.
The following piped water systems have so far been completed; Kacheri Piped Water Supply System, Oruwamuge RGC Piped Water Supply and Sanitation System serving 8,408 people in 24 villages and Amudat Town Piped Water Supply System – serving 8,652 people in 14 cells.
The Morolem Piped Water Supply and Sanitation System is under construction and is at 45% completion level. This is intended to serve 34,535 people in 3 parishes of Aremo, Katabok West and Katabot East in 24 villages.
