President Museveni Challenges Karamoja Leaders On Socio-Economic Transformation

His Excellency the President of Uganda and Commander-in-Chief of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has today challenged Karamoja leaders to embrace commercial dairy farming as a means of socio-economic transformation in their communities.

“Don’t only work for the stomach. If you only work for the stomach, how about other needs like building a good house and dressing your family well among many other needs? If you want to live a good life, you must be able to solve the problems of the stomach and other needs which have to be solved by getting money and you pay for them,” said H.E Museveni.

President Museveni was speaking during the closure of the transformational leadership training ideological orientation program of Karamoja leaders which was conducted at the Oliver Reginald Tambo School of Leadership and Pan African Centre of Excellence over the last three weeks. The leaders and youths from the Karamoja region were drawn from the districts of Moroto, Abim, Kabong, Napak, Nakapiripirit, Kotido, Amudat and Karenga.

H.E Museveni urged the leaders to embrace the principles of Patriotism, Pan-Africanism, Democracy, Socio-economic transformation through education, commercial agriculture, industries, services and information communication technology. “If you want to get out of poverty, emphasize Uganda, Africa. But you cannot take advantage of the Ugandan and African markets if you are still in the traditional way,” added President Museveni.

The Commander-in-Chief appreciated the 3 Division Commander, Major General Don Nabasa for initiating the need to have the course for the leaders and youths from Karamoja.

Hon. Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja, the Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs thanked the President for his commitment towards officiating the pass out of the leaders from Karamoja region.

The Chief of Defence Forces, General Wilson Mbasu Mbadi in his speech said the training was initiated at the request of the 3 Division Commander and the need to combine the military approach with the civil-military engagements. “During our presentation for pacifying Karamoja, one of the areas we indicated was focused civil-military cooperation because we thought that military operations alone would not go far,” said Gen Mbadi.

Gen Mbadi reiterated that the situation in Karamoja requires the consolidation of an inter-governmental approach through service delivery and affirmative action by some sectors like education.

The Private Secretary in charge of Youth Affairs, Office of the President, Hellen Seku said the leaders and youths are going back to their respective districts to become change makers and model farmers in their communities.

Present at the function were Cabinet Ministers, Generals, Commandant of ORTSL-PACEX and trainers.