Prime
Govt to build lake in Karamoja
Outgoing Karamoja Affairs Minister John Byabagambi (centre) receives a plaque from his successor Dr Mary Goretti Kitutu (right) for his service to the Office of the Prime Minister during the hand-over ceremony at the ministry’s offices in Kampala yesterday. Left is the State minister for Karamoja Affairs Agnes Nandutu. PHOTO | STEPHEN OTAGE
What you need to know:
- Cost. The lake whose feasibility studies and designs have already been carried out, is expected to cost less than $100m (Shs354.1b).
The outgoing Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Mr John Byabagambi, yesterday said government is in advanced stages of constructing a 10,000 square hectares lake for Karamoja Sub-region to curb insecurity and promote agricultural production.
While handing over the office to his successor, Dr Mary Goretti Kitutu, Mr Byabagambi said the two outstanding immediate assignments awaiting her are the construction of a man-made lake at Lopei between the districts of Moroto and Kotido, and fast tracking the gazetting of Mt Moroto as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) heritage site.
“President Museveni and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta have already signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the construction of a lake which will contain 40 million cubic metres of water to reduce insecurity in Karamoja and Pokot pastoralists and generate 6MW of electricity,” he said .
He added that the lake, whose feasibility studies and designs have already been carried out, is expected to cost less than $100m (Shs354.1b) and will serve the districts of Napak, Moroto, Kotido, and Abim, to reduce the distances that the pastoralits have been travelling to access water in the five valley dams and 116 valley tanks that were constructed in the area.
He added that the key interventions, which have been realised in Karamoja include peace building, introduction of water for agriculture production where the region now produces food which government is buying, rural electrification and the introduction of dryland integrated development projects.
In her speech, Dr Kitutu said when she was being vetted by Parliament for her new position, she was tasked to tell the House how she planned to stop water runoff from Karamoja to Teso which always ends up flooding Teso.
“I told them, I will stop the water from flooding Teso. As Minister of Water and Environment, there are certain insecurities you can map out and water is one of them. Once there is water, peace will prevail,” she said.
She explained that she was going to channel her energies in ensuring availability of water for production and bulk water to steer development in Karamoja which is now being earmarked by development partners to invest in the sector but are being scared away by insecurity.
She said as energy minister, she launched 1,059km of rural electrification programmes dedicated to Karamoja region targeting areas scheduled for mineral industrial parks.
She added that she also brought on board Karamoja among the areas to be mapped with geophysical surveys which revealed to government all the minerals in the region and revealed the tourism and industrial potential of the area.
