Agency
President Yoweri Museveni has urged residents of Karamoja to focus on wealth creation initiatives rather than relying solely on government infrastructure development, particularly road tarmacking.
Museveni’s remarks follow concerns raised by residents about the poor state of roads in the region, which have become impassable, with many calling on the government to tarmac them to ease transportation.
Currently, the only tarmac roads in Karamoja are the Moroto–Soroti highway via Napak District and the Moroto–Mbale road via Nakapiripirit to Muyembe.
This leaves the northern part of the sub-region—covering Abim, Kotido, Kaabong, and Karenga districts—in worse condition.
During the rainy season, several roads are frequently cut off and rendered impassable.
The most affected routes include the Moroto–Kotido and Soroti–Otuke–Abim–Kotido roads, which connect to Kaabong and Karenga.
Speaking during his campaign rallies across the sub-region, President Museveni urged locals to prioritize wealth creation over the demand for tarmac roads, stressing that personal wealth is key to improving living standards.
He encouraged the people to utilize government programs such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga to lift themselves out of poverty.
