Residents of Ngariam and Okore sub-counties in Katakwi District are up in arms against a district council resolution to relocate the Ngariam Memorial Technical Institute to Toroma County. The institute was pledged by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in memory of 21 locals who were massacred by Karamojong warriors in 2003.
To fulfill this presidential pledge, the government, through the Ministry of Education and Sports, allocated Shs 450 million for the construction of the institute in Apeuru-Aodot, where the community has already donated over 200 hectares of land.
However, some district councilors, led by Marion Atim, are collecting signatures to petition the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Kataha Museveni, to relocate the institute to Toroma County.
The residents are furious, stating that the resolution is politically motivated by other MPs and leaders rather than being based on the needs of the community. They held a peaceful demonstration at the graveyard where the 21 victims were buried, demanding that the council reverse its decision. They also vowed to march on foot to State House to meet President Museveni if the decision is not overturned.
Local leaders, including Charles Ikabat, the LC3 chairperson for Okore Sub-county, and Margaret Imalingat, the district female councilor, accuse some district councilors of hindering the development of Ngariam County.
“This technical school is in memory of the people of Ngariam who were killed by the Karamojong. The President even visited the families of the victims and gave them Shs 5 million each in condolence. Why relocate it to Toroma?” Ikabat said.
Hon. Angella Akengo suggests that while Toroma County may need a technical school, it should not be a memorial school. She advised area MP Hon. Joseph Andre Koluo to collaborate with Hon. Peter Ogwang, MP for Ngariam and Minister of State for Education and Sports, to lobby for another technical school in Toroma rather than diverting the one designated for Ngariam.
However, Geoffrey Omolo, the Katakwi LC5 Chairperson, expressed concern that the district could lose the technical school due to disagreements.
“It’s very clear that the school is in memory of the people who lost their lives in Ngariam. Why would we divert the school to Toroma instead of lobbying for another one? If we continue like this, the money will be taken back,” Omolo warned.
This controversy is part of a larger issue, as directly elected MPs in Katakwi District clash over government-funded projects. Voters in Ngariam question why Usuk and Toroma MPs have failed to lobby for projects in their own areas, instead attempting to reallocate resources meant for Ngariam, which Hon. Ogwang is lobbying for.
Last year, a similar dispute sparked heated debate in the council, with some councillors condemning the harassment of journalists who covered the controversy.
As the community continues to protest the relocation of their technical school, the fate of the Ngariam Memorial Technical Institute remains uncertain, caught in the midst of political tensions and power struggles.
“Now that the President is coming to Teso, we want him to clarify the issue of this school,” the residents said.
