Karamoja leaders want direct funding from EU, donors

MOROTO. Local leaders in the districts of Karamoja want European Union and others donors of various projects to send the money directly to them for the direct benefit of the local people.

While meeting the EU delegation in Moroto on 6 December, the Karimojong leaders led by the LCV chairman Moroto Mr Andrew Keem Napaja said although EU and other donors have been sending a lot of funds to Karamoja, very little reaches the common man as most of it is lost in the ministries of Finance and Office of the Prime minister.

“We want you to send the money directly to us for the direct benefit of the common man in Karamoja, we can make accountability and we have the capacity since government sends us money and we use it and make accountability,” said Mr Napaja.

However, the minister for Karamoja affairs Mr John Byabagambi said the local governments don’t have the capacity to manage the funds that are given by EU and other donors.

“These people can’t manage the funds government gives them so how can they be able to manage and account for the big funds from EU and other donors? We need to be serious here because this is a government policy to have money go through ministry of finance and later OPM,” said Mr Byabagambi.

Mr Napaja told the visiting team led by EU head of delegation to Uganda Mr Attilio Pacifici that a number of projects close before they start because money is held up at the ministry of finance.

“There are many NGOs and CSOs here who receive this money on behalf of the Karimojong and many of these at times close before the project benefits the common man, we don’t want the money to be sent through intermediaries, we want it to come directly,” said Mr Napaja.
The European Union delegation of ambassadors was in Karamoja on an annual visit to understand challenges and opportunities in Karamoja and interacted with all stakeholders.
The Abim LCV chairman Mr Jimmy Ochero said instead of receiving funding through an agency or government ministries that employ and schedule other attendants, direct funding would let their people benefit directly from the funding.

“There is a lot of money that has been lost along the way and in the delays to release the money to us. At times our people put us on task to explain and we can’t. There are NGOs that concentrate on buying vehicles for their work and after the project closes, they take the vehicles to Kampala to benefit them,” said Mr Ochero.

The local leaders intend to take charge of how and when the services are provided through direct funding which is intended for people of Karamoja who would also benefit from the additional control and oversight.

The ambassador of France to Uganda Ms Stephanie Rivoal said to some extent the local governments have a reason to ask for direct funding but that they must also know that EU is just a helper of Uganda government.

“We simply supplement government efforts to develop Karamoja so we have to go through government and until government changes this policy, we shall continue sending through government,” said Mr Rivoal.

She explained that as EU they are aware of delays in funding due to bureaucracy in government and that a lot of funds are spent without accountability.

“Our desire is a win, win situation and we are aware that a lot of money is taken by middle men but we are constrained and I see a predicament of the donor and the local people, it is so bad when money is spend before it gets to the common person,” said Ms Rivoal.

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