Karamoja, uganda – A section of legislators from Karamoja has called upon the Office of the President to take a keen interest in the alleged mismanagement of water funds meant for the construction of valley dams in the Karamoja region.
Speaking to the media, Ms. Janet Grace Aletch Okori-Moe, the Woman Member of Parliament for Abim District and former Chairperson of the Parliamentary Agriculture Committee, revealed that there are numerous ghost irrigation dams and valley tanks in both the Karamoja and Teso sub-regions.
According to Okori-Moe, during her tenure as committee chairperson, they discovered that despite the government releasing billions of shillings for dam construction to support agriculture in the regions, many of the dams only exist on paper.
“Honestly speaking, something must be done because officials in the ministry have turned Karamoja and Teso into their eating ground. What we found is that some of the dams being talked about do not even exist. For example, the Pylong Dam, which was supposed to help the community in Kotido, isn’t even there,” she said.
She added that two irrigation dams that the government had allocated funds for in Kotido and Abim districts have not been built to date, and no one has accounted for the missing funds.
This publication has learned that in 2019, the government released about UGX 75 billion to fund the construction of irrigation dams to promote agriculture in the two sub-regions. However, that money appears to have been diverted to individual projects in Kampala.
“What we saw at the Pylong site was merely a pond with weeds growing all over. I believe that one was constructed by the Ministry of Water, and there was absolutely no value for money,” she noted.
She further stated that another dam in Abim District is non-functional, and the construction appears to have been left incomplete. The facility was never officially handed over to the district.
Chairpersons from across the Karamoja region expressed frustration, saying that engineers and officials from the Ministry of Water and Environment have prioritized corruption over actual development work.
“We have been told how some of these officials now own posh houses, farms, and other properties that don’t match their monthly salaries,” said Mr. Paul Lokol, the Nabilatuk District Chairperson.
According to Mr. Lokol, the only dams that Karamoja can still be proud of are those built under the supervision of First Lady Janet Museveni, when she served as Minister for Karamoja Affairs.
“The rest of the dams being talked about are non-existent—just like those promised in Kazibwe’s time,” he added.
