Justine Lumumba Kasule, the minister in charge of general duties at OPM, recently addressed the parliamentary committee on presidential affairs, shedding light on the difficulties faced by the office in meeting the demands of Karamoja’s development.
In the northeastern region of Uganda lies Karamoja, a land struggling with development challenges exacerbated by understaffing and budget constraints within the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).
Lumumba emphasized the impact of understaffing, revealing that critical positions within the OPM remain unfilled due to budgetary limitations. This shortage hampers the office’s ability to effectively coordinate, monitor, evaluate, and plan relief efforts, disaster preparedness, and refugee management, resulting in delays and inadequate follow-up on initiatives. Ultimately, it frustrates service delivery to the people of Karamoja.
The minister also pointed out the dire need for the replacement of old vehicles used by OPM political leaders and technical staff. The cost of servicing these aging vehicles adds to the financial burden faced by the office, further impeding its efficiency.
Adding to the challenges is an insufficient budget. In the last financial year (2022/2023), the OPM received 80 percent of the revised budget, amounting to sh243.30 billion out of sh276.86 billion. While the overall absorption was at 91 percent, the office faced constraints in fulfilling its mandates due to limited financial resources.
For the current financial year (2023/24), the OPM projects a decrease in external financing, raising concerns about its ability to address the pressing issues in Karamoja. The parliamentary committee expressed worry over the historical neglect of the region and urged Lumumba to ensure that the budgeted interventions for Karamoja are prioritized.
Committee chairperson Jesca Ababiku emphasized the need for a clear government plan to address the historical marginalization of Karamoja. She urged prioritization of the region’s issues and expressed a desire to meet with the President to discuss and find solutions.
Acknowledging the gravity of the situation, Karamoja affairs state minister Agnes Nandutu pledged to work with the committee and relevant ministries to find solutions. She stressed the urgency of the situation and committed to advocating for increased resources to improve service delivery in Karamoja.
In the midst of these challenges, Lumumba proposed the need for additional funding to enhance coordination mechanisms and real-time tracking and monitoring of both central and local governments. OPM seeks an extra sh17 billion for these purposes, along with sh4 billion to operationalize a web-based National Development Plan (NDP) III monitoring and evaluation system, and sh4 billion for the coordination of NDP III implementation. Additionally, OPM requires extra funding of sh63.679 billion for the operationalization of the disaster risk management plan and other essential initiatives.
