BY ALEX PITHUA
The members of Parliament who are sitting in Kaunda Grounds in Gulu city have Urged the government take a deliberate efforts to encourage compulsory enrollment of children of Karamoja to school.
The first regional sittings commenced on 28th and will end today focusing on the matters of the Northern Uganda, with deputy speaker Thomas Tayebwa charing the plenary , after Speaker Among handled the bulk of sittings at Kaunda Grounds.
The concerns emerged when the MPs were debating on the motion for adoption of the report of committee on defense and internal affairs on the security situation in the districts of Moroto, Kaabong and Abim.
The members highlighted that due to low level of education in the Karamoja sub – region, they are backward and that they cannot major to other regions as the government is encouraging economic and social transformation to spur development.
Notably, they pointed out that the uneducated families in Karamoja are causing insecurity to government, raiding cattle and killing people in the neighborhood of Acholi, Lango, Teso and Bugish
President Museveni while submitting to the house on Wednesday noted that the problems of Karamoja started since colonial times , rallying politicians to join him in the efforts of disarmament and sensitization in the sub-region for it to move at the some pace with rest of regions.
President Museveni added that free universal education should be embraced in the entire country to Push the country towards social economic transformation “take all children to universal primary education and those who are rich to take their children to private schools.”
Norman, one of the MPs in Karamoja asserted during his submissions that adults education should equally be enrolled on massive scale in Karamoja inorder to transform the region, “insecurity in Karamoja is caused by those who are known because they are easy to predict. The problems of Karamoja is lack of Commitment by government!”
MP representing Kimanya Kabonera country, Dr. Abed Bwanika said Karamoja has the most brilliant people in the world, “we are loosing brains that are innovative in this country.”
Bwanika added that several of parishes in the Karamoja don’t have primary schools.
Minister for Karamoja affairs demanded for establishing pre-primary and primary schools and emphasized the need for mind- set change in the area.
Minister for primary education Dr. Joyce Moriko Kaducu revealed that the Karamoja lag behind in Northern region with enrollment of about 2 million learners in primary schools out of 11.4 million enrollment in Northern Uganda this year.
To that effect the deputy speaker Thayebwa informed the minister to take report to the cabinet and bring it back to Parliament in a span of six months.
