By Andrew Irumba
Karamoja: President Yoweri Museveni has dispelled claims that Karamoja Sub-region is dry, saying that it’s just a myth perpetrated by ignorant people.
Museveni made these remarks in a letter he wrote while seated a few meters from Kobebe Dam, which was constructed in the region to provide water for both of people and animals in Karamoja subregion.
Here is President Museveni’s reproduced verbatim; “The Bazzukulu and other Ugandans.
Greetings. These pictures were taken at Kobebe dam, in Karamoja, as I waited for H.E Uhuru Kenyatta.
We discussed how to support the pastoralist communities of Karamoja and Turkana, in Kenya. I was at Latitude 2° North and 48 minutes (2°48 N).
You can see how green it is!! The temperature, at that moment, was actually, 22° celcius, very pleasant.
The myth that Karamoja is dry is only perpetuated by those that do not know the opportunities available. Yes, Karamoja gets rain for fewer months than in the South of Uganda.
However, in those few months, they get good rain. The challenge is to trap that water in dams, like we have done with this Kobebe Dam which is able to store 2.3 billion litres of water during the rainy season. This can cater for 267,000 cattle, when at 70% capacity, for 4 months during the drought. Will say more next week.
It actually rained. I had to put on my jacket although it was 13:40 hours (forty minutes minutes past One O’clock – Omwihaangwe).
