President to take factories to Karamoja, fight hunger
Kotido/Moroto.
Donning his wide-brimmed signature hat, Mr Yoweri Museveni sat on a three-legged stool that denotes authority in the sub-region, with a walking stick in his right hand.
The NRM presidential candidate was also dressed in a yellowish shuka [wrapping sheet], a traditional dress of the Karimojong.
Mr Museveni, who was assured of Karamoja votes in 2016, a disadvantaged semi-arid sub-region in north-eastern Uganda where his wife Janet is minister, promised to construct factories to a sub-region dented by long years of cattle rustling and instability.
President Museveni, who was on a campaign trail with his wife in the sub-region on Wednesday, said: “Karamoja is going to become one of the industrial centres of Uganda”.
The President promised to break off from his 2016 campaigns in the second week of December to break the ground for a cement factory in Moroto District. “This is very satisfying for me, what NRM has done in Karamoja has improved my chances of going to heaven and I am sure God will be very happy with me.”
“We brought peace, immunisation and extended electricity to all other districts except for Kotido, Kaabong, Buvuma and Nwoya,” he added.
Mr Museveni said his government would build a stronger powerline from Soroti-Moroto so that it can support factories. The NRM presidential candiate said the sub-region sits on huge deposits of lime stone which can supply Uganda for the next 300 years. Limestone is a raw material for cement.
Mr Museveni also promised to build a marble and another for milk in Karamoja.
The President, however, noted that most of the Karimojong are still poor because they are stuck on the traditional cows, saying he would introduce to them dairy cows to boost milk production.
By Yasiin Mugerwa
Stephen Ariong & Julius Ocungi