Karimojong community in Kampala ask government for start-up capital

KAMPALA. Karimojong community who reside in Katwe II parish in Kitenda zone in Makindye Division and whose known source of income is alms, want government to provide them with startup capital for businesses.

The Karimojongs, most of whom flood Kampala streets every day to beg, through their chairman Mr Michael Keem say that on many occasions, government has asked them to return to Karamoja but they have no established source of income there and this is part of the reason they don’t want to leave Kampala.
"Many of our brothers and sisters have been taken back but unfortunately, they return to Kampala after a few days because government hasn't set up for us what to do. It’s not just taking us back but what have you done for us in the villages where you want us to go?” Mr Keem wondered.

He added that they are willing to go back if government looks into their needs.
“Even though we live on streets, we are also Ugandans. Let government cater for us the way it does for other Ugandans. There's no way you’re going to take me back to the village and stay there without better social services or source of income. We can do cattle keeping. Let government give us cows to us and see if we shall remain in Kampala. " he added.

He made the remarks during a visit by Kampala International University students led by the guild president Jasper Arinda.
Arinda and his group gave them clothes, beddings and shoes as relief following a fire that gutted their houses and property in February 2019.
Arinda said they decided to donate to them the items not to encourage them to prolong their stay in Kampala but because they are Ugandans who deserve a better life like any other citizen.

“When fire gutted their houses, no one responded to their cry yet they are also Ugandans and the government knows why these people left their villages,” he said.