Each day spent fetching water steals time, education, and opportunity, highlighting inequalities that persist worldwide NEWS FEATURE | RONALD MUSOKE | In the vast, sun-scorched plains of Uganda’s northeastern region of Karamoja, the search for water begins before the day has properly broken. In scattered homesteads across this semi-arid region, …
Read More »Time Bomb: Killer bridge hungers to claim more lives in Otuke
Soroti, Uganda | URN | The Alito Bridge, a crucial crossing point for road users and the business community between Teso and Northern Karamoja, is in a state of disrepair that has drawn widespread fear and condemnation. This vital infrastructure connects Teso to Karamoja through Otuke, Abim, Kotido, Kabong and …
Read More »Residents of North Karamoja, Teso decry poor state of Abim–Amuria road
Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | As the rainy season sets in, residents of North Karamoja and Teso are warning that the Abim–Amuria Road has become nearly impassable, with potholes and mud halting movement whenever it rains. Heavy rains in 2025 already left the road in a poor state, with floods …
Read More »When the water of peace dries, what next for Karamoja?
COMMENT | RICHARD AYESIGWA & VICKY ABURA | In the sun-scorched plains of Karamoja, the most urgent crisis is not hunger but water scarcity, driven increasingly by climate change, especially prolonged and more frequent droughts that are drying rivers, dams, and traditional water points at an alarming rate. While images of …
Read More »TRADITION: The Karamoja rite that shapes power
Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Karamoja traditional system of governance excludes youths who are not initiated into the elderhood system from decision-making processes, sparking concerns about representation and inclusivity. The traditional Akiriket, a sacred gathering of elders, makes decisions affecting the community without input from women and youths. To …
Read More »2025 PLE: Parental support gaps blamed for poor performance in Karamoja
Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Local leaders in the Karamoja sub-region have attributed the poor performance in the 2025 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) to a lack of coordination between school management and parents. The region registered only 240 candidates in Division One. District breakdowns show Abim with 27 candidates, …
Read More »DROUGHT: Karamoja pastoralists struggle to adapt to climate change
Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Pastoralists in Karamoja are grappling with a deepening crisis as water sources dry up under scorching temperatures, threatening both livestock and livelihoods. Their traditional way of life—once shaped by predictable rainfall and pasture—is increasingly being disrupted by climate change, which is taking a heavy toll …
Read More »The Goats That Never Came: How a Shs39 billion program failed Karamoja’s most vulnerable
Abim, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A government programme meant to rebuild lives in Karamoja has instead left communities counting losses. Approved in 2021 with nearly 40 billion shillings, the Karamoja Goat Initiative promised livestock and dignity to former cattle rustlers who had laid down their arms. In Abim District, …
Read More »Why Karamoja still votes Museveni, why that loyalty is being tested
Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | For decades, Karamoja stood on the margins of Uganda’s political and economic life, defined more by insecurity, underdevelopment, and state neglect than by opportunity. Today, the sub-region remains one of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s strongest political bastions, a reality reaffirmed by the results of …
Read More »Stanbic Bank strengthens its Karamoja network
Karamoja Local Leaders Laud Stanbic Bank’s Inclusion Agenda for Women, Youth, and Farmers Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Local leaders in the Karamoja sub-region have commended Stanbic Bank Uganda for its ongoing investment and inclusive banking agenda, which continues to empower women, youth, and farmers through affordable credit, digital …
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