Karamoja leaders have renewed their demand for ministers implicated in sharing relief items, including iron sheets, meant for vulnerable Karimojong to step aside as Parliament yesterday kicked off official investigations into the alleged mismanagement. 

The litany of complaints presented by Karamoja Parliamentary Group chairperson Remigio Achia include 25,000 missing iron sheets, 39,000 goats undelivered to the region, and 290 metric tonnes of maize worth Shs19b picked from government stores but never delivered to the hunger-battered region.

He blamed Mary Goretti Kitutu, the Minister of Karamoja Affairs. 

each goat supplied to Karamoja was priced four-fold or more times higher, each beneficiary received fewer than the 16 goats promised and many of the animals began dying because they arrived sick and were unvaccinated. 

The boer and galla breeds could not cross-mate and some hunger-stricken families sold the goats to stock food.

In his presentation before the Presidential and Foreign Affairs Committee chaired by Adjumani District Woman Member of Parliament Jessica Ababiku, Achia said only 68,297 goats were delivered and animals worth an estimated Shs19b remain unsupplied. 

The lawmakers demanded that heads of those culpable must roll for mismanaging procurement and distribution of emergency relief bankrolled through a supplementary budget for Karamoja. 

In December 2021, Parliament approved Shs39b to be used as follows: Shs22b for buying goats, Shs8b to procure 100,000 iron sheets, and Shs9b for mobilisation and sensitisation of communities and regional councils, among others.

In the report presented yesterday, Achia said Shs500m was used to facilitate regional council meetings, Shs300m was spent on a peace caravan while Shs8.2b remains unaccounted for.