Karamoja MPs have called on the Parliamentary Committee on Presidential Affairs to fast-track consideration of the Shs15 trillion Karamoja Regional Development Plan, stressing the need for a long-term and tailored intervention to bridge the sub-region’s socio-economic gap.
Napak District Woman MP, Faith Nakut,who presented a position on behalf of the Karamoja Parliamentary Group last week , told the committee that the sub-region requires a unique and time-bound development strategy to address its long-standing challenges. She urged the committee to ensure that key elements of the plan are considered during the budgeting process.
“We can have a unique intervention period of 10 years or even 15 years for a particular region. Once that is done, we will reduce the inequality gap in our country,” Nakut said.
Other MPs from the Karamoja sub-region echoed the call for a long-term strategy to address persistent development challenges.
However, members of the committee sought clarification on how the proposed plan would differ from previous interventions implemented in the region. Kazo District Woman MP and committee member, Jennifer Musheesi, expressed concern about the effectiveness of past programmes in Karamoja and questioned how the new plan would deliver different results.
“If those problems are still in existence, how is this one going to be different?” she asked.
Kikuube District Woman MP and Vice Chairperson of the committee, Flora Natumanya, pledged the committee’s support for the initiative. She emphasised the need for a systematic and sustainable approach to ensure the project delivers lasting benefits to communities across the region.
“If you want to implement a project as big as this, we must handle it systematically. We need something long-lasting that will benefit everyone. Karamoja has received many projects, but we are committed to ensuring this one works,” Natumanya said.
Nakut and her colleagues argued that a tailored development plan for Karamoja would ensure efficient use of resources and provide a clear roadmap for the sub-region to catch up with the rest of the country.
The proposed Karamoja Regional Development Plan, estimated at Shs15 trillion, is designed to run from 2024 to 2035. It aims to transform the sub-region through investments in infrastructure, agriculture, education, health services, and livelihood programmes. The long-term strategy seeks to address poverty, food insecurity, low education levels, and limited access to social services, ultimately promoting inclusive growth across Karamoja.
