When the Karimojong became too stubborn for the whole country, the only focal point President Museveni relied on to preach a message of disarmament and peace was former minister Peter Lokeris Teko.
Mr Lokeris never disowned or disassociated himself from his people, the Karimojong, despite other regions laughing at them and portraying them as people created by God with tails. Hon. Lokeris never felt ashamed.
When President Museveni appointed him State Minister for Mineral Exploration, Mr Lokeris worked hard and showed the whole country and the world that Karamoja, a region whose occupants were once associated with guns, also has minerals that can boost the economy of the country.
To prove this, he pushed for the mapping of minerals in Karamoja. When government did this, it was discovered that Karamoja had a lot of minerals, with marble and limestone still being quantified to date.
In order to start exploring the discovered minerals, government rolled out disarmament exercises in Karamoja with the help of Mr Lokeris and other stakeholders such as religious leaders and NGOs. The disarmament worked well and, as of now, Karamoja is peaceful, with industries mushrooming day and night because of Lokeris’ efforts.
Moroto, which used to have only 12 operating generators, now has a 24-hour national grid connected to the region, with an additional 132kV power line for factories.
Karamoja used not to have any single tarmac road. Connecting Moroto to Soroti, and Moroto to Mbale via Nakapiripirit, was very difficult. But as we speak, all those roads are now tarmacked, thanks to President Museveni, who listened to the political and development concerns raised by Hon. Lokeris and other leaders.
The Karimojong, Turkana of Kenya, and Pokot of Kenya were not interacting as pastoralist communities. However, Hon. Lokeris, being a son of pastoralists, worked hard and brought the three communities together to live and graze together, and to date the Turkana are in Karamoja.
Although his name missed out in the recent Cabinet, the achievements Mr Lokeris has left behind in Karamoja are clearly visible.
The prayer of the people of Karamoja now is that, given his achievements and continued support for NRM in the region, Mr Lokeris should not be left idle but should be kept in an active government role.
Who is Lokeris?
Hon. Lokeris is a veteran Ugandan accountant, politician and educator who has served as State Minister for Minerals and later as a Cabinet Minister for Karamoja Affairs, and previously represented Chekwii County in Nakapiripirit District as a Member of Parliament for about three decades. He was born on February 2, 1947.
He holds a Diploma in Finance (Institute of Public Administration), a Bachelor of Commerce, Master’s degrees in Marketing and Peace and Conflict Studies (Makerere University), and an Honorary Doctorate in Public Administration.
Before joining politics, Mr Lokeris built an extensive career in local administration, where he served as a cashier and internal auditor for Moroto District. He worked as Chief Accountant for Kotido District, and served as Administrative Secretary and District Administrator across Moroto, Kasese and Jinja.
He also worked as a Special Presidential Advisor on Peace and Development in Karamoja.
After entering national politics in 1996, Lokeris became one of the longest-serving ministers in Uganda’s history, holding several portfolios including Minister of State for Karamoja Affairs, Minister of State for Primary Education, and Minister of State for Mineral Development, later being elevated to full Cabinet status where he was tasked with regional integration and local resource management.
The writer is a senior journalist.
