Moroto District, Uganda – The concerned citizens in Karamoja have continued to raise concerns about the importance of the Ministry of Water Karamoja regional offices, saying its impact is not being felt in the region.
According to the locals, although the establishment of the regional office was to bring services nearer to the people on the ground, the staff employed in the region have become professional absentees from duty.
Mr. John Ayopo, one of the anti-corruption monitors in Moroto, said all the time it’s only office attendants left managing the official business while the senior officials are taken up with their personal engagements in their respective districts.
Initially, Karamoja was under Mbale regional office before it was separated.
John Munyes, another monitor, said on several occasions they have been paying courtesy calls to the Ministry of Water offices, but they only get office attendants and other junior staff who only stay in the office throughout without going to the field.
According to Munyes, if by chance the ministry officials are in their offices, they only work two days in a week.
“They can report on duty Tuesday and work Wednesday and Thursday, but Friday they are already driving government cars with fuel back to their country homes and no work is done,” he said.
Jeremiah Louka, another concerned resident, said the regional offices have kept on accounting for the old projects done during the time when the First Lady, Janet Museveni, was Minister for Karamoja Affairs, but nothing new has been done by the current staff.
“Karamoja has become an eating ground where people request the money for implementing Karamoja projects but divert it to their personal projects and do something little in the region just to justify their personal spending,” he said.
John Loupa, another resident, appealed to President Museveni to be keen on Karamoja projects, saying most officials in the region work as if they are being paid by the opposition to frustrate his NRM efforts in Karamoja.
Mr. Loupa pointed out the stalled Kakingol water project in Moroto District that has failed to be completed five years down the road.
“We want to ask anyone from central government to pay a surprise visit to this regional office and see what we are talking about,” he said.
Mary Nakut, another resident, faulted the Ministry of Water for only recruiting people from the north who are working while their attention is in their home areas.
