By Santa Alum-Ogwang
I am pleased to address you today on our planned monitoring exercise of Government social, infrastructure projects and wealth-creation programmes in the Karamoja Sub-region.
Allow me to express my appreciation to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, for his steadfast commitment to improving the livelihoods of our people. I also recognise the efforts of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, together with Local Governments, in expanding infrastructure, promoting economic empowerment and improving service delivery across the 9 districts that makeup the Karamoja sub region.
Karamoja is a region of enormous economic potential, with a population of about 1,496,117 people, according to the official Uganda Bureau of Statistics 2024 Census, the subregion is endowed with livestock, minerals, extensive land resources, agricultural opportunities and a rich cultural heritage. Its people, particularly the youth and women, have the capacity to drive lasting transformation when equipped with the right opportunities and services.
However, the sub-region continues to face challenges. Water scarcity, inadequate road connectivity, recurrent drought, unemployment, and limited access to finance and markets continue to constrain production and household incomes.
Government has therefore introduced several interventions to address these challenges and improve community welfare. Our monitoring exercise scheduled for November 16th to November 27 2026, will assess how these investments are benefiting the intended communities, focusing on selected infrastructure projects, the Parish Development Model, Emyooga, and the Karachuna economic empowerment intervention.
Our purpose is to recognise achievements, identify implementation gaps, and agree on corrective actions with the responsible institutions and district leadership.
Government infrastructure investments. Infrastructure provides the foundation for productive livelihoods by connecting communities to water, markets and essential services. Government investments in roads, dams, valley tanks, boreholes, irrigation facilities and markets must therefore support production, improve service delivery and expand economic opportunities.
We will assess the progress, quality, functionality and utilisation of selected projects, as well as compliance with contractual obligations and the factors affecting timely completion. We will also examine whether these investments respond to community priorities, support wealth-creation enterprises, and have adequate operation and maintenance arrangements.
Our focus will be on whether these investments are delivering tangible benefits to communities through reliable water supply, improved road access and functional markets that support trade. Where projects are incomplete, defective or underutilized, we will engage the responsible institutions to address the shortcomings and ensure that the intended services reach the people.
The Parish Development Model. The Parish Development Model is a central Government strategy for supporting households to move from subsistence production into the money economy.
In Karamoja, it provides opportunities for eligible households to invest in viable enterprises suited to local conditions, including livestock, crop production, poultry and beekeeping. Ever since its inception Shs.1.92bn has been disbursed to Karamoja.
We will establish whether funds have reached the intended beneficiaries, whether selection followed programme guidelines, and whether the resources are supporting productive enterprises. Beneficiary engagements will help us understand the progress achieved, the challenges encountered and the support needed.
We will also examine access to extension services, financial literacy, infrastructure and markets. Effective coordination across the PDM pillars is essential for turning household investments into sustained production and higher incomes. Proper fund management and timely loan repayment are equally important to safeguard opportunities for subsequent beneficiaries.
The Presidential Initiative of wealth and job creation (Emyooga). Emyooga supports wealth creation and employment by enabling eligible occupational groups to mobilise savings, access affordable finance and expand their enterprises.
So far government has supported the different eligible groups with Shs.10,3bn Our monitoring will assess SACCO functionality and whether the benefits are reaching the intended community members. Attention will be given to governance, member participation, savings, lending, loan recovery, record keeping and the management of Government seed capital.
SACCO leaders must account to their members, and funds must be properly managed, recovered and revolved in accordance with programme guidelines. We will engage the responsible institutions to strengthen SACCOs experiencing operational difficulties and to support the growth of members’ enterprises.
Karachuna economic empowerment intervention. The economic empowerment of the Karachuna is critical to strengthening livelihoods and sustaining peace in the region.
Through support from institutions such as the Microfinance Support Centre, the intervention seeks to equip reformed youth with financial knowledge and opportunities to undertake productive economic activities.
We will assess whether the intended beneficiaries have been reached, whether planned support has been provided, and whether resources have been used appropriately. We will also examine the enterprises established, the progress achieved and the follow-up support required to sustain them.
The success of this intervention should be reflected in improved incomes, viable livelihoods and continued participation in peaceful, productive activities.
Ladies and gentlemen, our exercise will be evidence-based, involving engagements with district leaders, implementing institutions, SACCO leaders and beneficiaries, alongside record reviews and field visits.
Any suspected cases of corruption, embezzlement or misuse of public resources identified during the exercise will be documented and referred to the State House Anti-Corruption Unit for investigation and appropriate action.
At the end of the monitoring exercise, we will convene an exit meeting with representatives of Local Governments and the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies to discuss the preliminary findings and agree on actionable recommendations, with clearly assigned responsibilities. My Office will follow up on the implementation of these recommendations to ensure that identified shortcomings are addressed, and Government investments deliver the intended benefits.
I therefore call upon all stakeholders in the subregion to collaborate with us during this exercise by upholding transparency. I encourage beneficiaries to share their experiences openly and the media to support the exercise through accurate and responsible reporting.
The people of Karamoja deserve tangible results from Government investments. Through accountable leadership, effective implementation and sustained follow-up, we must ensure that these investments create lasting opportunities and improve livelihoods across the sub-region. Hon. Sandra Santa Alum Minister of State, Office of the President (Economic Monitoring). Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
