Iron sheets saga: How  to achieve forgiveness

The Daily Monitor on Good Friday carried headlines that were full of biblical allusions to the cross and, by extension, to the theory of satisfactory moral atonement. In my Catholic lessons, “satisfactory moral atonement” holds that Jesus Christ redeemed humanity through making satisfaction for humankind’s disobedience through his own “supererogatory obedience on the cross.” 

The theological teachings behind this theory are in tandem with the legal concept in our constitution of balancing out an injustice whist keeping in mind that one of God’s chief characteristics is justice, and accordingly, any upsets to that justice must always be atoned for.

As such, while the cartoons depicting Karamoja Affairs minister Dr Mary Goretti Kitutu as a sacrificial lamb were meant to allude to the theory of atonement at exactly the time that Christians were reflecting on why Jesus died on the cross for them, it didn’t go down well with most people. 
Most Christians felt it was heretical to present a frail human, who seemed already overwhelmed by her thoughtless acts of involving her entire family along with 22 ministers and about 33 Members of Parliament (MPs) in an unforgivable web of insensitivity. 

What is even more disturbing is that the Karamoja iron sheets were shared in Kampala, a place where you commonly hear the mindless statement, “We shall not wait for Karamoja to develop,” being thrown around carelessly. 
Clearly, singling out Dr Kitutu to go through the shameful trials at the Chief Magistrate’s chambers, does not amount to satisfactory moral atonement for the avarice surrounding the gross mismanagement of relief items and other development programmes meant for Karamoja and other disadvantaged regions in Uganda.

 And, as we ‘waste time’  waiting for the outcomes of the Anti-Corruption Court proceedings and Parliament’s committee report on this matter, it is important to remember that the Karamoja valley dams’ saga and the subsequent investigations amounted to nothing. Dr Speciosa Kazibwe [former vice president of Uganda] was let off scot-free, and yet the Karimojong have continued to be a nuisance in most parts of Teso Sub-region in their incessant search for water for their livestock. 

So, what would count as satisfactory moral atonement and lead to complete forgiveness from the Ateker people of Karamoja and Teso from the transgressions from these ministers who have been consumed by greed and hubris? The solution is simple and one which is in line with the Ateker people’s cultural climate. 

Carlson et al (2012) in a study funded by the Irish Aid, observed that the spiritual component of the Karimojong customary law fuses the judicial, political and social elements of daily life. To that end, each member within a community has roles aimed at maintaining social organisation and to uphold the cultural norms and values. This cultural framework gives authority to elders to enforce discipline upon members of their communities with the aim of “punishing perpetrators of violence or reforming degenerative behaviour.” 
Therefore, if the NRM government wishes to seek amends for the stolen iron sheets and other cynical acts of commission and omissions against the people in that sub-region, the elders demand two things. 

Firstly, each of the ministers and MPs, who received the stolen iron sheets must return all these items personally to Moroto District headquarters where several Karamoja elders should be mobilised to wait to receive them and hear their public apologies. 
Secondly, each of these insensitive culprits must be publicly shamed by the elders and sentenced to two weeks of community service.  Drop all court dramas and reinforce this traditional form of justice.   
The author, Ms Joan Acom Alobo is the Woman Member of Parliament for Soroti City
Email: [email protected]