Security leaders in Karamoja have refuted as misleading claims by the State minister of Transport Aggrey Bagiire that the region is insecure.
Mr Bagiire was recently quoted saying many of the contractors they have approached to work on the roads linking Karamoja to Kenya have declined the offer, citing insecurity in the sub-region.
“Some people still think that Karamoja is insecure so when you advertise for a job, some of these contractors are reluctant to respond and that is where we are having problems,” Mr Bagiire was quoted as saying.
However, the Mt Moroto Regional Police commander, Mr Richard Aruk Maruk and UPDF security team members dismissed the minister’s explanation.
“Karamoja is very peaceful and other contractors are doing work peacefully even when they are not guarded,” he said.
Moroto District chairman Andrew Napaja Keem said: “The Karimojong have embraced peace and are ready for development.”
“I think those are the contractors who have been eating money out of shoddy work in Karamoja in the name of insecurity,” he added.
The State minister for Karamoja Affairs Mr Moses Kizige, said Karamoja was peaceful; adding ‘people should not dwell on the past.’
Source: Steven Ariong/Daily Monitor
